Court defers ruling on lawyer’s fraud case

MAGISTRATE Danny Wakikura has informed the court yesterday that the ruling on the police evidence against lawyer Gloria Salika for fraud related charges was not ready.
“I will reserve my ruling to a later date as the ruling on this case is not ready,” he said.
Wakikura set May 5 to rule on the sufficiency of evidence.
Salika was charged with 26 counts of misappropriation, 28 counts of money laundering, 27 counts of false pretence and two counts of conspiracy to defraud for allegedly involved a transfer of K15 million belonging to the Western people to a law firm.
Police alleged that between Aug 1 and Aug 30, 2018, Salika allegedly communicated with the Australia New Zealand Bank employees to transfer the funds from Western people’s dividend trust account from the bank to Young and William Lawyers.
It was further alleged that during her communication with the ANZ employees, Salika allegedly used signed letter under Gregory Sheppard’s name.
Meanwhile, Salika’s co-accused Tabitha Malken, charged with 53 counts of fraud related charges, appeared together with Gloria yesterday and informed the court through her lawyer that she decided not to make her declaration statement in court.
Defence lawyer said Malken wished to exercise her rights to remain silent.
This followed magistrate Wakikura’s ruling on police evidence against Malken on April 13 that there was enough evidence to make a serious case against her in the National Court.
The matter will return on May 5 for the court to make a decision on the committing of Malken and ruling on the sufficiency of police evidence against Salika.