Paraka co-accused’s trial set

NATIONAL Court Judge Teresa Berrigan set the criminal trial for former Finance Department secretary Jacob Yafai for Sept 2.
Yafai, who is convicted lawyer Paul Paraka’s co-accused, will have his pre-trial conference on July 22 at 1.30pm, she said.
Judge Berrigan said she would be referring the matter back to registry for another judge to preside over. Judge Berrigan said she would not be presiding over the trial and that it would be allocated to another judge.
“I’m just giving a trial date for both parties to work towards,” she said.
“I will have the matter referred back to the registry for allocation to another judge.”
The matter returned before the National Court in Waigani to confirm pre-trial review statements.
Both parties had already filed their statements.
Yafai’s lawyer Martin Kombri, of Kombri and Associates, informed the court that defence would be calling upon five witnesses during the trial, including the defendant himself.
Judge Berrigan said she would review the defendant’s bail on Monday.
She said he was still on District Court bail and had to be on National Court bail.
Yafai, 42, from Karapia in East Sepik’s Yangoru-Saussia, is facing 12 charges; four counts for conspiracy, four counts of corruption and four counts of abuse of office.
The charges are related to four payments made to Paraka Lawyers between November 2012 and May 2013.
Yafai is alleged to have facilitated payments amounting to K40 million while he was Finance Department secretary.
He was committed to stand trial in February, almost 10 years after Paraka was arrested in 2013 and charged over misappropriation.