Misappropriation case to resume

A K52 million misappropriation case is set to resume on Feb 5, after a National Court judge refused no-case submissions by all six defendants.
The case involving two lawyers, an executive assistant and three board directors of a development foundation went before the National Court on Friday for a ruling on the submissions.
National Court Judge David Cannings said he refused to believe that there was no evidence to continue the trial as submitted by the defendants’ lawyers.
Judge Cannings said he had considered the submissions by both the defendants and the State and found there was no just cause to accept no-case submissions by the defence.
“I am not persuaded by the no-case submissions,” he said.
“I have not considered the weight of the evidence, nor the number of witnesses.”
He refused all no-case submissions by each of the defendants and said the trial would proceed.
He set the date for the trial to continue on Feb 5.
“It’s important that the trial continues as soon as possible,” he said.
Five of the six defendants – Gloria Salika, 39, from Kulakea village in South Fly, Western; executive assistant Tabitha Malken, from Jambitanget village in Wosera-Gawi, East Sepik, and Ok Tedi Fly River Development Foundation Limited board directors Boston Kasiman, Edna Oai and Annie Smerewai – are being represented by Edward Sasingian of Sasingian Lawyers.
The sixth defendant, lawyer Greg Sheppard of Perth in Australia, is being represented by Ron Webb.
Salika, Malken and Sheppard are being charged with one count of misappropriating K52 million belonging to the people of Western.
The three directors are each facing two counts of allegedly being involved in the transaction of the same K52 million, as well as another K216 also belonging to the people of Western.