A woman from the Esa’ala district in Milne Bay Province will spend one year, 10 months, at the Bomana Correctional Institute after she failed to repay monies she stole from her former employer.
The Waigani National Court today sentenced Sandra Sikari to jail. She pleaded guilty to stealing K23,000 from Post PNG when she planned a robbery with a man on January 31, 2015.
The man, who was involved in the robbery with Sikari, is yet to be arrested and charged.
She was sentenced to two years in jail on Nov 11 last year; however, she asked the court to give her six months to repay the monies.
That six-month period lapsed on May 11 without repayment.
A warrant for her arrest was issued by the court, which was executed on Sikari on July 24. She has been in custody at Bomana since.
She appeared before Deputy Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika this morning after spending more than a month in custody.
On Sept 25 last year, she appeared before the same court and apologised for her actions.
“I apologise to my former employer, the court and my family for stealing. I ask the court to have mercy on me and give me time to pay off the money,” she added in between tears and sobs on the morning of January 31, 2015.
The court found that between January 1 and 31 this year, there was a shortfall of K2,000 at the Port Moresby Post Office, which led to Sikari planning the robbery with a man.
It found that on 31 January, she gave the man a uniform. He then went into the office with her and emptied the safe containing the taking from the previous day.
She later reported the matter to Post PNG investigators that she was held up. Upon questioning at the Boroko Police Station by Detective Aron Silas, Sikari admitted to planning the robbery and stealing K23,020.95