Official facing misuse of funds claims returns to court

By BOURA GORUKILA
CENTRAL’S deputy administrator, facing allegations of misuse of funds belonging to the province’s LNG landowners, will return to court on July 30 for further mention.
Waigani Committal Court Magistrate Tracy Ganaii adjourned the case for another month to allow police to provide a hand-up brief.
Edward Kila, 59, of Hula village in Rigo, Central, is charged with a count each of abuse of office, misappropriation, conspiring to defraud and false pretence.
Apart from being deputy administrator, Kila was also the chairman of the LNG infrastructure development grants (IDG) funds with the infrastructure development unit.
He was alleged to have between Jan 8, 2013, and July 4, 2018, authorised, approved and signed 71 cheques totalling K34,464,509.23 belonging to the LNG impacted areas of Porebada, Boera, Papa and Lealea.
Police alleged that the payments were made to companies and individuals without complying with the Public Finance Management Act 1995, National Executive Council (NEC) decision No 92/2014 dated March 26, 2014, memorandum of understanding (MoU) of IDG Central plant site, the establishment of infrastructure development (UBSA) trust account dated Dec 4, 2009, the amended IDG trust account dated March 12, 2012, and IDG implementation guidelines.
Police said the MoU between the National Planning Department and the Central government was to ensure effective implementation of infrastructure projects funded under the IDG trust funds.
and 13 major projects were identified with 10 per cent administration cost but were never implemented.
It was also alleged that in 2012 and 2013, the government allocated funds of K34,464,509.32 for IDG to the provincial administration under the LNG plant IDG trust account but were not properly managed and misused.
Other senior provincial administration officers are also under investigation.
Kila’s bail was extended.