Western Governor Ati Wobiro, Dr Modowai Gumoi and Norman May were granted leave today to appeal their 10-year sentence term before the Supreme Court.
Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia, sitting as a single Supreme Court judge, today allowed the appeal to go for hearing before a three-judge Supreme Court bench after the court was satisfied on their grounds of appeal.
The matter will return to court at a later date for directions before a hearing date can be fixed.
Lawyers for the three prisoners of State have 21 days to file the notice of appeal before the Supreme Court.
Their appeal was on grounds that they were found guilty of misappropriating K350,000 and an additional K24,000, not K7,060,000 – the amount to which they were sentenced to 10 years in jail for.
The three were convicted on July 26 by Justice Martin Ipang for conspiring to defraud the State and misappropriating monies amounting to K7 million.
Prior to their sentence, they repaid K373, 971.68. Receipt of the restituted amount was provided to court just before the National Court sentenced them to 10 years in jail on Nov 18.
The three were found guilty on July 26 for conspiring to establish the Fly Care Foundation between January 1 and December 30, 2013, by using over K7m 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.
Justice Ipang, in his ruling on July 26, said there was overwhelming evidence that Wobiro paid K350,000 to New Century hotel as a cover up for informal sector projects, when it was actually intended 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. No acquittals were done on the funds given out.
(Loop PNG file picture of Western Governor Ati Wobiro, right, and Dr Modowai Gumoi in court early this year)