The misappropriation case against Eastern Highlands Provincial Administrator Solomon Tato has been dismissed by the Goroka National Court.
Trial judge and Deputy Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika dismissed the case on May 10 after he found that the accused had no case to answer to.
The trial commenced last week with the state presenting its evidence in court.
At the close of the state’s evidence, Tato’s lawyers moved an application asking the court to stop the trial and acquit him, saying the defence team had no case to answer to because the state’s case lacked sufficient evidence to convict him.
That application was agreed to by the court and Tato was discharged of the allegations against him.
The case against Tato emanates from an ex-officio indictment, or an election of his case to proceed to the National Court by the Public Prosecutor. This was for trial under section 526 of the Criminal Code Act.
The election was done on 14 March, 2016, after the Goroka District Court dismissed his case on 27 November 2015 because it had insufficient evidence against him.
From Ibusa-Moke village, Okapa, Eastern Highlands Province, Tato was charged for abusing the authority of his office and misappropriating K2m between March 5, 2011, and March 21, 2012.
The first charge against Tato alleges that he abused the authority of his office between March 5, 2011, and March 21, 2012, in Goroka, by not calling for a public tender and awarded a contract to Lance Works Limited. He allegedly did this while being employed as the acting provincial administrator of the Eastern Highlands Provincial Administration and chairman of the Eastern Highlands Provincial Supply and Tenders Board.
The second charge alleges that Tato, between that same period, dishonestly applied to the use of Lance Works Limited and others monies in the sum of K2 million – properties of the State.
Both charges were dismissed.
(Solomon Tato, in blue, with his lawyer George Lao outside the Waigani National Court precinct last year)