Ex-NAC boss Richard Yapo dishonest
News that matter in Papua New Guinea
Ex-NAC boss Richard Yapo dishonest
PORT MORESBY: The National Court in Waigani
has found former National Airport Corporation (NAC) managing-director Richard
Yapo dishonest.
Chief Justice Sir Gibbs
Salika on Monday (Jan 3, 2022) ruled there was no question that the vehicle was
purchased by NAC, was and is always its property.
Justice Sir Gibbs fixed Jan 18, 2022, for submission
on sentence.
Details of the court proceedings were reported by The National:
Ex-NAC boss
dishonest
January 4, 2022The
NationalMain Stories
By BEVERLY PETER
FORMER National Airport Corporation (NAC) managing director Richard Yopo
dishonestly registered a NAC vehicle under his name and kept it for more than
eight years.
Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika set Jan 18 for submission on sentence in the
Waigani National Court, saying there was no question that the vehicle was
purchased by NAC, was and is always its property.
“Being the property of NAC, the vehicle under any circumstances should not be
registered under Yopo’s name.”
The court heard that in 2013, NAC had bought a five-door Toyota Land Cruiser
for K123,589.39 from Ela Motors and gave it to Yopo to use as it was part of
his contract for employment with NAC.
The vehicle was for him to use as his official work car and for personal use.
It was heard that NAC paid K123,589.39 to Ela Motors for the vehicle.
Ela Motors produced the payment receipt with customer’s name as Ricks Hire Car.
The vehicle was then registered at Motor Vehicle Insurance Ltd (MVIL) under
Yopo’s name.
Yopo said he was not involved in purchasing the vehicle and was not aware that
it was registered under his name until in 2014 when the vehicle registration
was due.
From 2014 to 2017, all registration of the vehicle was done by NAC.
Yopo said the vehicle had reached its economic useful life of five years in
2018, so he decided to keep the vehicle.
Sir Gibbs said: “Whether the vehicle had reached its economic life span or not,
it is still the property of NAC and should have been returned.”
Sir Gibbs said Ela Motors normally issued receipts to the customer who
purchased the vehicle which was supposed to be NAC but instead it was Ricks
Hire Car unless someone instructed Ela Motors to do so.
“The postal address of Ricks Hire Car was the same postal address Yopo used as
his postal address at MVIL in registering the vehicle,” he said.
“(The) same postal address was used in Ela Motors receipt to Ricks Hire Car and
that is a critical evidence that connected them.
“Yopo knew in 2014 that the vehicle was registered under his name and had done
nothing to change the registration back to NAC but kept it for more than eight
years.
“It was clear that the vehicle is the property of NAC and to be used by any
person holding the position of NAC general manager business strategic unit
which at the time was Yopo.”
Comments
Post a Comment