Kiponge, Agisa want arrest warrant set aside

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Kiponge, Agisa want arrest warrant set aside

PORT MORESBY: National Airports Corporation (NAC) managing director Rex Kiponge and former Civil Aviation Minister Sekie Agisa have asked a committal court to set aside a warrant of arrest issued in relation to allegations of corruption against them.

Dan Kakaraya, representing Kiponge and Agisa appeared before magistrate Paul Puri Nii in Waigani yesterday (Nov 3, 2022) and asked that the warrant and orders issued on Oct 20, 2022 be revoked and set aside because there was no evidence that the allocation of K500,000 to Agisa was unlawful.

ON March 9, 2021, Agisa allegedly wrote a letter to Kiponge and the NAC management requesting that the minister’s Budget 2021 of K500,000 for the ministry be deposited into the minister’s accountant’s trust account – Ambe Business Consultants Ltd.

It was further alleged that on March 16, 2021, Kiponge corruptly did a footnote instructing NAC acting general manager Noreen Gugumal for the shareholder’s allocation to be transferred to a nominated trust account with the full knowledge and authority that the funds would be dishonestly applied for his own use and the use of another.

Kakaraya said NAC allocated K500,000 to every minister as a shareholder every financial year to assist with operations.

The court proceedings were reported by The National:

Court asked to set aside warrant

November 4, 2022The NationalMain Stories

NATIONAL Airports Corporation (NAC) managing director Rex Kiponge and former Civil Aviation Minister Sekie Agisa have asked a committal court to set aside a warrant of arrest issued in relation to allegations of official corruption against them.
Dan Kakaraya, representing Kiponge and Agisa, appeared before Magistrate Paul Puri Nii at Waigani yesterday and asked that the warrant and orders issued on Oct 20 be revoked and set aside because there was no evidence that the allocation of K500,000 to Agisa was unlawful.
Police alleged that on March 9, 2021 Agisa wrote a letter to Kiponge and the NAC management requesting that the minister’s 2021 budget of K500,000 for the Civil Aviation Ministry be deposited into the minister’s accountant’s trust account — Ambe Business Consultants Ltd.
It was further alleged that on March 16, 2021, Kiponge corruptly did a footnote instructing NAC acting general manager Noreen Gugumai for the shareholder’s allocation to be transferred to a nominated trust account with the full knowledge and authority that the funds would be dishonestly applied for his own use and the use of another.
Kakaraya said NAC allocated K500,000 to every minister as a shareholder every financial year to assist with its operation.
He added that there was a letter by Agisa to Kiponge asking for the ministry’s allocation and there was nothing dishonest or corrupt about that.
Kakaraya further stated that it was frivolous, vexatious and an abuse of process for police to obtain a warrant of arrest as the money had never left NAC.
“Before obtaining a warrant, there must be sufficient evidence,” Kakaraya said.
Police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Christian Iga objected to the application on the basis that the allegations were based on a transfer of K500,000.
He added that Agisa had requested for the money to be transferred into a trust account and according to police, a K200,000 payment was allegedly made into the nominated account.
Iga further stated that police were working hard to bring evidence for the allegations that money was paid corruptly.
Kakaraya argued that Kiponge had directed for the money to be deposited in the accounting firm given that the Civil Aviation Ministry did not have an account and funds had to be held in trust account.
Magistrate Nii reserved his ruling for Monday.
According to police summary of facts, a payment of K200,000 was made to Agisa’s nominated business account name Ambe Business Consultants Ltd last March 26.
Police further stated that Ambe Business Consultants Ltd was deregistered on Jan 17, 2021, and was a defunct company.
The auditor further discovered that the NAC board did not approve any budget for last year.
There was a budgetary allocation of K500,000 for the shareholder’s (Civil Aviation and Finance Ministers) but due to continuous instability within the NAC board, the budget had not been passed.
Agisa had abused his authority by allegedly directing the shareholders’ allocation to be paid to a private company.
This is a direct misappropriation of money not budgeted for and corruptly directed payment to a deregistered company by the former MP and MD.

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