Three charged with stealing K80,000

THREE men allegedly involved in defrauding the Papua New Guinea Spice Industry Board last year by obtaining more than K80,000 were charged in the Waigani Committal Court yesterday.
Magistrate Paul Puri Nii read out the charges of conspiracy to defraud and false pretence to Graham Eluida, 54, Michael Wasime, 64, and Backsy Poka, 44, and adjourned the matter to June 8 for mention.
Police alleged that on Oct 19, 2021, Eluida was working for the Department of Agriculture and Livestock as finance and administration officer in the accounts section.
Eluida knowing that the chief executive officer for PNG Spice Industry Board was Dr Nelson Simbiken conspired with Wasime and Poksa to facilitate a transaction that saw the sum of K81,432,52 belonging to the company dispersed into various accounts of employees of PNGSIB.
Simbiken and the DAL secretary Stephen Mombi were not notified of the transaction and neither had signed the cheque.
The money was withdrawn from a Bank South Pacific cheque (No.140450) and not the current which was in the possession of Simbiken.
Wasime was a former chief executive of the board, but was not employed at the time.
The two signatories for the cheques were Mombi and Simbiken.
Waisime and Eluida had written several letters to BSP and collected a second check book which was used to facilitate the alleged transection.
Wasime and Eluida acted as the signatories to the account and obtained the money which was later distributed to several employees of PNGSIB as part of their outstanding payments.
Waisime’s term of employment with the company expired on Feb 21, 2021.