Fraud suspect arrested
Detectives investigating allegations of massive fraud within the Southern Highlands Provincial Government have arrested one suspect over the theft of K355, 000.
Former Principal Education Advisor Baro Pari aged 45 from Betege village, Koroba, in the Southern Highlands Province was questioned by fraud investigators in Port Moresby on October 10 and charged with three counts of misappropriation.
This brings to five the number of people arrested by police so far since the State of Emergency operations begun in the Southern Highlands Province.
Acting Controller of the State of Emergency Chief Superintendent Norman Kambo while commending detectives involved in the operation said this is only the beginning and more arrests are expected within the near future.
Mr Kambo said the security forces are changing their scope of operations to concentrate their efforts on two main areas, the arrests of people implicated in fraudulent activities and civic work.
"Our counterparts from the PNGDF are now in civic mode and will be working on some of the major roads and other infrastructures within the province, while police are prioritizing our efforts into investigations," Mr Kambo said.
The accused, Baro Pari, was taken to the Boroko Police Station Cell and detained before appearing at the Waigani District Court today (October 11).
Police prosecutors have indicated that they will make an application for the case to be transferred to Mendi.
Pari is alleged to have misused subsidy funds earmarked for respective schools in the province.
He is alleged to have drawn three cheques for K50,000, K265,000 and K20,000 between 1998 and 2002.
It is alleged, that the funds were deposited into his personal account and later withdrawn and expended.
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