Police serve probe findings

 POLICE have served their investigation result to the three Lands and Physical Planning Department officials facing fraud-related charges.

Police prosecutor John Wamuru told Waigani Committal Court Magistrate Cosmas Bidar that the files were served on suspended secretary Romilly Kila Pat, Simeon Andrew and Vavine Walo last month.

The court heard that Kila Pat, Andrew and Walo allegedly conspired among themselves to apply to the use of a business entity K208,569.70 from the land reform trust account at Bank South Pacific, Port Moresby, on Sept 14 last year.

Lawyer Timothy Cooper, representing Andrew and Walo, unsuccessfully tried to have the court order police to produce copies of the statements of the trust and the main accounts of the department.

Cooper said money involved in the charges was related to the accounts and the police had to provide them in court.

Bidar said the cases were in the committal process and it was not right for the defendants to tell the police what evidence they should provide.

He said Cooper could address that during the submissions on sufficiency of evidence or during the presentation of the defendants’ statements.

Kila Pat’s lawyer, Philip Tabuchi, said he was ready for submissions on sufficiency of evidence. The three will appear for mention on March 8.