National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate (NFACD)

IRC has no place for corrupt officers: Koim

Mr Koim made this bold statement after announcing the arrest of one officer and the dismissal of another for separate misconducts.  

The terminated officer worked at IRC for 10 years, moving up the ranks to be a manager at the Debt Recovery Division (DLED). He used his position to print out a consolidated statement of accounts for particular taxpayer in 2019 which was subsequently used to extort money from that taxpayer. He was dismissed from IRC.

Charges against NASFUND Officer dismissed

 

On Friday January 11th 2019, the Committal Court dismissed the charges after a credible case could not be produced against Brown when first charged in July 2018. 

In a statement NASFUND Board Chairman, Hulala Tokome, said in the process of defending an obviously spurious charge, Brown and his family have endured prolonged stress, not to mention, the considerable disruption to the ordinary business of NASFUND.

Fraud squad arrests Engan businessman

Yesterday, detectives from the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate (NFACD) arrested managing director for First National Real Estate Ltd, Martin Piason, aged 39 of Tsak village, Wapenamanda.

He was charged with one count of misappropriation of more than K1.3 million under the criminal code act and one count of money laundering under proceeds of crime act.

In a statement, fraud director Matthew Damaru said it is alleged K3 million was paid by the Ijivitari District Treasury to two companies for purported mobile health programs.

Former Works secretary arrested

Joel Luma, aged 61 of Avatip village, Ambunti, East Sepik Province, was arrested and charged by fraud detectives early this month in the nation’s capital.

The National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate (NFACD) charged Luma with:

  • Two counts of abuse of office
  • One count of official corruption and,
  • One count of misappropriation of funds totalling K9,594,860.79, the property of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea

Luma, who is now self-employed, committed the offence whilst in office, reports the NFACD.

Former returning officer arrested

Sinai, who is currently the Deputy Electoral Commissioner operations, was slapped with the three charges by the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate yesterday.

Just after lunch time on Monday, he was taken to the fraud office at Konedobu, Port Moresby, to be interviewed by detectives.

His arrest follows alleged involvement in foul play during the by-elections for the Madang Open seat.

Sinai was the election manager based in Lae during the National Election. However, he was appointed returning officer for the Madang Open by-election in 2013.

​Former Parliamentary staff arrested

On September 14 at Daru, detectives arrested and charged Andrew Menger Marubu of Bela village, Mendi district, Southern Highlands Province, with two counts of false assumption of authority and one count of misappropriation of K6 million.

Marubu was formerly employed by the National Parliament as first secretary to the then minister for sports and South Fly, Sali Subam.

Derogatory statements amount to insubordination, warns Isouve

The head of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary’s Crimes Division, Assistant Commissioner Victor Isouve, was speaking in regard to statements made by fraud director Matthew Damaru.

During a press conference on Thursday, Damaru questioned the legitimacy of the vetting process.

“The process of initiating the criminal justice process is now encumbered by an unusual vetting committee,” the fraud director told the media.

Damaru’s statement absurd, says ACP Isouve

The head of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary’s Crimes Division, Assistant Commissioner Victor Isouve, says Matthew Damaru was quoted as saying cases initiated by the NFACD required the unwavering commitment of the police prosecutor to prosecute the state’s case.

“In the article, Damaru said criminal cases struck out by the courts were on technical grounds and not on their merits,” said the ACP.

Cases dismissed due to ‘unusual interferences’, says Damaru

The most recent one was former police commissioner Geoffrey Vaki’s case. The Waigani Committal Court dismissed it on Tuesday after finding insufficient evidence against him.

In a press conference this afternoon, Fraud Director Matthew Damaru said: “We have come to a frightening stage where a number of ‘unusual interferences in the criminal justice process’ have led to the lost cases.

“The process of initiating the criminal justice process is now encumbered by an unusual vetting committee,” stated Damaru.