Police probe K681,300 for station

By ZACHERY PER
POLICE fraud investigators are looking into payments totalling K681,300 made to a contractor to build a rural police station in Kerowagi, Chimbu, in 2016 where no work was ever carried out.
Chimbu police commander Supt Orim Piamia confirmed that investigators from the Highlands Eastern Command were gathering evidence on how the Mingende rural police post was not yet delivered after more than K680,000 had been given to contractor Storm Wall Ltd.
Supt Piamia said the Mingende area, especially Dux market, was a crime and homebrew consumption hotspot that required police presence.
“Police will get to the bottom of how the money was expended when there is nothing on the ground to show of,” he said.
According to documents sighted by The National, Storm Wall Ltd managing director Pr John Kagl was awarded the contract worth K2 million by then police commissioner Gari Baki and then commissioner for police logistics Tony Duwang to build the rural police station at Mingende on Oct 21, 2016.
A first payment of K302,800 was released to Pr Kagl on Dec 2, 2016, followed by a second payment of K195,000 on Dec 5, 2016.
Another separate payment of K183,500 was also released at about the same time.
“Out of the K2 million for the project, a total of K681,300 was collected by Pr Kagl, however, there is nothing to show for it on the ground,” spokesman for the Mingende community leader Herman Kagl said.
Kagl and eight other community leaders brought their concern to Supt Piamia.
He called for a speedy investigation and arrests and for the Police to engage a new contractor to build the police post because a balance of only K1,318,700 of the allocated funds was left.