Blacklock freed of charges
News that matter in Papua New Guinea
Carolyn Blacklock
Blacklock freed of charges
PORT MORESBY: Former Acting PNG Power Ltd managing director Carolyn
Blacklock was discharged by the Waigani committal court on all four corruption-related
charges because of insufficient evidence.
Magistrate Paul Nii said the evidence submitted on the
four charges “must be direct” and ordered that Blacklock’s passport be returned
to her and the bail money be refunded.
Blacklock was charged with one count each of
misappropriation, false pretence, forgery and conspiracy when she held the PNG
Power position in 2018.
Details of the court proceedings were reported by The National:
Blacklock
charges cleared
December 21, 2021The
NationalMain Stories
By CLARISSA MOI
A COURT has dismissed all charges against the former acting managing
director of PNG Power Ltd Carolyn Blacklock because of insufficient evidence.
Blacklock was charged in September with one count each of misappropriation,
false pretence, forgery and conspiracy when she held the PNG Power position in
2018.
Waigani Committal Court Magistrate Paul Nii said the evidence submitted on the
four charges “must be direct”.
He ordered that Blacklock’s passport be returned to her and the bail money she
paid be refunded.
“The court is of the view that your appointment to PNG Power and your contract
of employment was through an NEC (National Executive Council) decision,” he
said.
“KCH (Kumul Consolidated Holdings Ltd) and PNG Power are inferior to NEC
decisions.
“They are governed by the authorities of NEC.
“There were also allegations of conspiracy and other allegations levelled
against you. But evidence must be direct, implied and assumption is not an
evidence.
“Evidence of conspiracy must be direct that you were seen with someone
somewhere.
“There is nothing here.”
It was alleged that between December 2018 and August 2019, Blacklock
dishonestly applied K1,768,448.25 of funds belonging to PNG Power Ltd to her
benefit under a fraudulent contract.
Magistrate Nii said police failed to produce satisfactory evidence to meet the
elements of the allegation.
“Evidence shows that the money was lawfully paid under an existing contract of
employment between (Blacklock) and PNG Power Ltd. Money within the contractual
time frame.”
On the false pretence charge, Magistrate Nii said evidence suggested that
Blacklock did not pretend or promise to obtain money to pay herself.
“Therefore, it is my ruling that police evidence has failed to make a serious
case against the defendant by fulfilling all the elements of the offence of
forgery, therefore this charge is dismissed.”
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