ACCOUNTANT ARRESTED
POLICE on Tuesday arrested and charged a former senior accountant in the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in connection to the missing $10 million within the ministry.
Randy Hatigeva of Renbel Province appeared in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court on 10 counts of false pretense and released on $10,000 cash bail.
This is for allegedly endorsing payments and documents totaling up to $7.3 million while working as the senior accountant in the ministry.
Prosecution alleged his responsibility was to check through payments raised and other documents before endorsing them.
It was alleged that between 1 January 2012 and 20 September 2013 he endorsed some payments totally up to 7.3 million
Hatigeva is the fifth person, and the third public servant, to be charged in connection to the $10 million health scandal uncovered in 2013.
Police Prosecutor David Tepai applied for strict bail conditions to be imposed on Hatigeva.
These include Hatigevanot leaving Guadalcanal Province boundary and not to interfere with police witnesses or possible witnesses.
Hatigeva is also not allowed to enter or contact staff of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services premises, Ministry of Finance and Treasury, Silent World, Blue Ocean, Lagoon Eco, Guadalcanal Electronics, Wesley Timbers, Tongs Cooperation and GRB & Associates.
The court also imposed conditions restricted him to contact any staff from the National Referral Hospital and the administrative offices of health centres in the provinces unless for medical attention.
Hatigeva will appear again tomorrow in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court for the variation of one of his bail conditions.
This is to allow him to travel to his home province.
He is represented by MP Chambers law firm.
Principal Magistrate Augustine Aulanga, apart from adjourning the matter for bail variation tomorrow,adjourned Hatigeva’s case for mention on 1 February 2017.
Hatigeva will appear in court together with his his co-accused former Finance Controller Stephen Kido Dalipanda and former procurement officer Robert Manu.
Dalipanda is facing 15 counts of false pretense.
He allegedly approved some payments totaling up to 7.3 million that were supposed to be approved only by the permanent secretary.
Manu of Tikopia faces 12 counts of false pretense and four counts of official corruption.
He allegedly processed some payments under two non-genuine shipping companies totally up to 7.3 million.
Prosecution alleged these offices, including other public servants from the Ministry of Health, colluded with fake shipping agents to defraud the Solomon Islands Government of approximately $7.3 million.
The two shipping agents are John Biliki and Wesley Poloso, who set up fake shipping companies, Eroba Shipping Service and Joke Shipping Service, with the intention to defraud the state.
The stolen monies were funds the people and government of Australia provided to support the nation’s health sector.
The prosecution alleged the disappearance of the funds has severely affected implementation of health projects in the rural areas and has unfavourable impact on provision of government health services.
One of the fake shipping agents, taxi driver Poloso, was already convicted and jailed for two and a half years in 2014 for receiving $1.5 million of the fund.
He was referred to as a “toy-boy.”
The other fake shipping agent, Biliki, has had his case still pending before the court.
He faces 14 counts of false pretense, 15 counts of money laundering, and 15 counts of uttering.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
