PNG LAWMAKER ARRAIGNED ON THEFT CHARGES

PNG LAWMAKER ARRAIGNED ON THEFT CHARGES
Tony Puana charged with mishandling $950,000

By Joshua Arlo
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, March. 1, 2011) – In Papua New Guinea (PNG), Opposition member Tony Puana, and Member of Parliament for Kandrian/Gloucester Open in West New Britain Province appeared before the committal court in Waigani on allegations of misappropriating government funds of more than 2.5 million- kina [US$950,000] for the electorate.

Mr. Puana has 20 counts of dishonest application and another 20 charges of false pretence. He appeared yesterday in court where he was served the police hand up brief which is the completed police investigation file into his allegations. His lawyer yesterday indicated to court that they will peruse the police file before they make submissions on the sufficiency of evidence as to whether it can establish a prima facie case.

According the police statement of facts, the investigation into the matter was instigated by a faction of village leaders of the Kandrian Gloucester electorate who wrote numerous letters to the Ombudsman Commission, Department of National Planning and Monitoring, Office of Rural Development and the Police Department complaining about the conducts and alleged fraudulent activities of their Member of Parliament, Mr. Puana when dealing with government allocated funds.

The Department of National Planning and Monitoring which is obviously responsible in monitoring government funding, sent their audits team to the province for further investigation on the allegation. The audit team unveiled that certain payments by Mr. Puana from the District Support Grants (DSG), District Support Improvement Grant (DSIP), Discretional and Non-Discretional fund which were in breach of the DSIP and DSG guidelines and the Public Finance (Management) Act 1995. The audit team then referred the matter to police for criminal prosecution.

Upon receipt of the formal write up of the audit inspectors, normal police investigation were conducted and disclosed the allegations and substantive payments either to relatives or he himself is alleged to have collected in cash.

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