The National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate was reopened this afternoon.
This happened despite the Attorney-General Ano Pala going before the National Court to seek a joinder in the proceeding filed by court-stayed fraud director Matthew Damaru.
After a meeting with the police commissioner and members of the NFACD at the Police Headquarters, assistant commissioner crimes Victor Isouve and deputy police commissioner Jim Andrews escorted Damaru down to the NFACD to reopen the gates to the fraud office.
A written instruction was given by Andrews from the Commissioner of Police to Damaru, through ACP Crimes, to follow and as a result, the fraud office has now been opened for the officers to resume official duties.
Andrews said the decision was on the directive of the police commissioner and that it was not because of the proposed protest by the UPNG students.
The directives have been handed down by Gari Baki, which are not new but will be resurrected and implemented so that the fraud squad can run smoothly by reporting to ACP crimes and deputy commissioner for operations.
This is to make the fraud squad more accountable to the commissioner of police.
Andrews adds that there will be a “vetting committee” in place and that all investigative files, especially of high profile cases, will have to go through the vetting committee. If the committee is satisfied that all evidence are there, it will return the case to the ACP crimes and director of fraud to complete the investigative process.
The vetting committee will consist of the deputy commissioner for operations and administration, ACP crimes, deputy public prosecutor as well as the NFAC director and some others.
NFACD director Damaru says investigation will continue now that the office is open. The general public can now come by the fraud office to follow up on and lay their complaints at their own convenience.
With the exception of the vetting committee, everything is back to normal and fraud officers will be doing their regular operational duties as of 8am tomorrow.
