Only half of the renovation work was done at the Kerevat National High School from 2009 to 2010 by Sarakolok West Transport (SWT), the company owned by Kokopo businessman Eremas Wartoto.
The K7.9 million contract awarded to SWT was to rehabilitate boys and girls dormitories, ablution blocks, water supply and sewerage systems.
Justice George Manuhu, in his ruling, said those works were incomplete and substandard. He was making reference to a report by Elliot Kadir which was brought to the attention of the Waigani National Court during the trial against director and shareholder of SWT, Eremas Wartoto.
“According to the report by Elliot Kadir, after the purported completion of the project, you had completed only 57% of the job, which is equivalent to K4,074,844.92,” Wartoto was told in court.
This K4 million was subtracted from the contract amount of K7.9 million, which gave the total amount of K3.9 million Wartoto is to repay in four months if he wants 4 years of his 10-year sentence to be deducted.
Pursuant to that contract, K6,791,408.20 was paid into SWT account on 26 January 2009. By 30 June 2009, the funds had been depleted while work on the project was still in progress.
The Court found that as of end of June 2009, only K346,145.51 was used on the project.
“To your credit, however, after the funds were depleted, you continued to use funds and materials from other sources to continue the work on Kerevat, except that work was incomplete and substandard. According to the report by Elliot Kadir, you had completed only 57% of the job after the handover,” Justice Manuhu told Wartoto in court.
(Picture Credit: PNG facts)