The Waigani National Court has found Western Governor Ati Wobiro guilty of conspiring with two others to misappropriate provincial funds.
Governor Ati Wobiro and his co-accused; Provincial Administrator Dr Modowa Gumoi, and the chief of Fly Care Foundation Inc. Norman Carl May, were all convicted today by National Court judge, Justice Martin Ipang.
They were found guilty to have conspired in establishing the Fly Care Foundation between January 1and December 30, 2013, by using K7.6 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 an MoA with Fly Care Foundation Inc.
They entered into an agreement after a purported meeting on March 23, 2013. This was a meeting the court found did not eventuate despite meeting minutes produced in court 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 organisation.
Justice Ipang, in his ruling today, said there was overwhelming evidence that Wobiro paid K350,000 to a New Century 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 proper processes followed.
Justice Ipang said despite some programs completed by Fly Care Foundation Inc, no proper reports were given.
All three had their respective bail forfeited today. They are being kept at the Waigani National Court holding cell, awaiting an urgent bail application that is expected to be moved later today.