Lae City Council members arrested

Four officers from the Lae City Council have been arrested by Lae based Police Fraud Squad in relation to the audit report recommendations carried out by auditors from the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government.

Investigators have found credible evidence to charge certain employees of the Lae City Council. 

Of the four, three are cashiers and one is an accountant. 

The charges laid are:

1.   A male cashier has been charged one count each on misappropriation, abuse of office and false pretence for the amount of K11,897.44.

2.  A male cashier has been charged one count of misappropriation and stealing for an amount of K20,029.62.

  1. The same person was also charged with Misappropriation for the amount of K349, 593.75.

3.  A female cashier has had multiple charges laid.

She has been charged with misappropriation, false accounting and abuse of office for three separate amounts of money, being K12,816.20, K181,392.58 and K151,156.74.

4.  A male accountant has been charged with four counts of misappropriation for the amount of K16,398.70. 

A fifth suspect has gone to Port Moresby and has not returned yet.

Lae’s Metropolitan Superintendent Commander, Anthony Wagambie Jnr, said Police Fraud Squad members are only doing their job in taking action as per recommendations from the independent audit team sent from Port Moresby. 

He was briefed by fraud squad that they are also awaiting documentary evidence from the Morobe Provincial Administration audit office.

This delay has been preventing further arrests from being made.

Police have done all the ground work, they are only awaiting the Provincial Administration. 

Wagambie is calling on the Acting Provincial Administrator to ensure that there is cooperation so that this investigation can run smoothly. 

He said all four have been arrested and charged within a span of two months and it is now up to them to prove their innocence in court. 

Author: 
Charmaine Poriambep