Probe over fund enters phase 2

THE second phase of investigations into the K6 million Manam Resettlement Authority (MRA) fund misappropriation will proceed next week, Northern commander ACP Peter Guinness says.
“Police should have completed recording of interviews of the last nine suspects arrested earlier,” he said. “As soon as all records of interview by police are completed this week, we are looking at going into the second phase of the investigations, hopefully by next week.”
ACP Guinness said in the second phase, those implicated in the alleged misuse of the MRA funds and were not picked would be arrested and charged as well.
In addition, he said while police were conducting investigations into the matter, “we also came across other additional information”.
“This means police now had to conduct several other investigations to retrieve those information as they are vital to support the current ones that police had in hand now,” he said.
“Further information, once retrieved, will provide strong evidence to support police in their court files preparations.”
ACP Guinness said in order to get that information, police needed to seek new search warrants for the compilation of court files.
The investigations were launched after police alleged that nine senior public servants of the Madang provincial administration misappropriated K6 million belonging to MRA in April 2019.