Another night for Wobiro at Bomana

Convicted Western Governor Ati Wobiro and accomplices will spend another night at the Bomana Correctional Service after spending today detained at the Waigani National Court holding cell.

 Governor Wobiro, Provincial Administrator Dr Modowa Gumoi and founder of Fly Care Foundation Inc. Norman Carl May were all taken back to Bomana around 4:30 this afternoon after the awaited bail application did not take place.

Family members, relatives and supporters of the three walked out of the court prescient disappointed at the turn out of the day.

Media personnel waiting outside later became the target as the three were driven out in the Correctional Service truck.

One of the daily newspapers’ photographer came under the attack of the supporters as he attempted to take a picture of the three seated inside.

Other reporters also outside became victims of verbal abuse and threats.

Yupla publishim misleading information lo niuspaper. Em ino steal man. Aste yupla kisim piksa, nau yupla kisim piksa, tumora yupla kisim piksa, what for? Noken kam tomorrow!”(You’re publishing misleading information in the newspapers. He is not a thief. Yesterday you took pictures, today you are taking pictures, and tomorrow you will come get pictures, for what? Do not come tomorrow),” they angrily said. 

A court official from the court house later came in and assisted the photographer protect his camera.

He took control of the situation and a team of police officers were later called in.

Yesterday a media personnel was also threatened by the same group of people as he was filming the leader being driven out in the truck and taken up to Bomana.     

On Tuesday, the National Court found the three guilty to have conspired in establishing the Fly Care Foundation between Jan 1 and Dec 30, 2013, by using over more than K7 million funding from the provincial government.

They conspired to misappropriate funds through a memorandum of agreement between Governor Wobiro and May for the Foundation to deliver projects in the province.

The Court found that the three bypassed all the processes captured under the Finance Management Act before they entered into a MoA with Fly Care Foundation Inc.

They entered into an agreement after a purported meeting on March 23, 2013.

This meeting, the court found, did not eventuate despite meeting minutes produced during the trial.

Other sitting MPs in the province, Boka Kondra and Roy Biyama, told the court they did not attend any meeting on that day.

Court also found that the Fly Care Foundation Inc. was only a year in operation with no audit reports, staff employed on an ad hoc basis and did not have the expertise to deliver services it was supposed to under the MoA.

It was a charitable organization.

Justice Martin Ipang, in his ruling today, said there was overwhelming evidence that Wobiro paid K350,000 to New Century (informal sector payment firm) as  a cover up for informal sector projects when it was actually intended to pay for his electoral officials who led his campaign in the 2012 General Elections.

It was also found that he paid out monies for various church projects in the province without following proper processes.

Justice Ipang said despite some programs completed by Fly Care Foundation Inc, no proper reports were given.

Caption: Wobiro (white shirt) seated in the Correctional Service truck this afternoon.

Author: 
Sally Pokiton