Tato: I will remain in office and face charges

EASTERN Highlands provincial administrator Solomon Tato said he will remain in office and challenge his criminal charges in the national court.
Tato told reporters yesterday that an ex-officio indictment served to him by the Public Prosecutor Pondros Kaluwin last Friday would not stop him from performing his administrative duties.
“The public prosecutor served the ex-officio indictment to me last Friday but that does not mean that I will step down as the provincial administrator. I will remain and challenge the case in the court of law,” Tato said.
The indictment served to Tato was regarding his criminal charges of official corruption and misappropriation.
The charges were in relation to his alleged actions when he awarded a contract to Lance Works Ltd between March 5, 2011 and March 21, 2012 when he was the chairman of the provincial supplies and tenders board.
The State alleged that the contract was contrary to proper procurement processes under the Public Finance Management Act.
The State also alleged that Tato misappropriated K2 million of public funds.
Tato was arrested two weeks ago and appeared in the national court last Friday in Goroka and was allowed bail of K5000.
He appeared in the Supreme Court in Waigani yesterday with his lawyer George Lau to hear a decision on sentence against his Governor Julie Soso regarding her conviction on contempt of court.
“The decision today is not my court. It’s between the court’s registrar and the governor. I am only assisting the court so I have nothing to lose and nothing to gain. I simply accept the decision of the court,” Tato said.