State asked to fix information

JUSTICE Teresa Berrigan has asked the State to fix the information properly on the misappropriation charge against two lawyers, an executive assistant and three board of directors in the Ok Tedi Mine-Western case.
Justice Berrigan said this yesterday at the Waigani National Court after glancing at a motion filed by the State to have the matter transferred to Western.
State, on the last mention, jointly charged lawyers Greg Sheppard, 65, from Perth, Australia; and, Gloria Salika, 39, of Kulakea village in South Fly, Western; executive assistant Tabitha Malken of Jambitanget village in Wosera-Gawi (East Sepik); and, directors Boston Kasiman, Edna Oai and Annie Smerewai with one count of misappropriating K52 million.
Justice Berrigan said it seems that the amount of money on the charge against Sheppard, Gloria, Tabitha, Kassiman, Oai and Smerewai had changed but State’s allegations on the misappropriation of the K268 million belonging to Western people remained.
“There is serious allegations involving large amount of money and the State must properly fix the indictment (summary facts),” she said.
Justice Berrigan said it looked like the State motion was not to transfer the whole file in the case.
It was before the court that State’s notice of motion was to have half of the case files transferred to Western and half be heard in Port Moresby.
State lawyer Helen Rolakona said the lawyer who was taking carriage of the matter was not available and she was not ready to move the motion yesterday.
Justice Berrigan then adjourned the matter to Sept 22 to hear the motion.
The State alleged that Kassiman, Oai, and Smerewai, who were the board of directors of the Western Region Community Mine Construction Project, had conspired with and dishonestly misappropriated K268 million for development projects in the Western region affected by the OK Tedi Mine.
Gloria and Malken were charged and committed with a number of fraud-related charges for allegedly facilitating a transfer of K15 million of the K268 million from Western Province people’s dividend trust account with Australia New Zealand (ANZ) Bank to Young and William Lawyers between August 2018 and early 2020.
Sheppard was initially sent by the committal court to the National Court charged with two counts each of obtaining by false pretence, conspiracy to defraud, misappropriation of property, money laundering and one count each of forgery, uttering and attempting to pervert the course of justice.