Sent cleared of fraud charges, urges probe

By MALUM NALU
A SENIOR civil servant, cleared by the court of fraud-related charges, has urged the government to investigate massive fraud and corruption in its departments.
Committal court magistrate Cosmas Bidar dismissed all charges brought against William Sent by the government’s Task Force Sweep, because of lack of evidence. He was represented by lawyer Harold Viyogo.
Bidar ruled that there was insufficient evidence to warrant the committal of Sent to the National Court for trial.
Sent was suspended as first assistant secretary of the infrastructure and economic division of the National Planning and Monitoring Department.
He told The National that he had been the victim of a massive “witch hunt”.
He urged the government to re-direct its efforts into investigating the development budgets of 2009 and 2010.
Task Force Sweep had accused Sent of using his office to conspire with others to misapply K10 million of public funds as air freight subsidy to Travel Air Ltd, owned by Kokopo businessman Eremas Wartoto.
He was also accused of conspiring with then acting department secretary Ruby Zarriga, then Planning and Monitoring Minister Paul Tiensten and Wartoto to facilitate the payment.
Sent was also accused of misusing K100,000 belonging to the state, as a director of Kerekamb Island Cooperative Society, which was given to it as funding for purchase of a walk-about sawmill.
 He said: “Zarriga and I were only given the opportunity to manage the department for five months.
“As per the terms of reference for the sweep team, I would strongly challenge the government to investigate the 2009 and 2010 development budget, under the leadership of Joseph Lelang.
“The country needs a thorough investigation into where the millions have gone, but the way in which the sweep team was set up to do a witch hunt is of grave concern to citizens of this country.”
Sent said his name and reputation had been smeared but would not say whether he would pursue legal action against those who had tarnished his name.
“I have suffered, my career has suffered because of the false information circulated among my colleagues, development partners and the public through the media,” he said.