Second accused charged in $10m health clinic fund scandal
A SECOND man is now facing court for the $10 million scandal within the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS).
John Biliki, 45, of Choiseul province is facing 15 counts of false pretence and 15 counts of money laundering.
The first accused, a taxi driver who was described as a toy boy in the scandal was already sentenced after pleading guilty to two counts of false pretence.
He was sentenced to two and a half year imprisonment for defrauding the government of $1.5 million.
Biliki’s case was mentioned in the Honiara Magistrates’ Court yesterday but because the court did not have the file, the case did not proceed.
Crown Prosecutor Willy Vaiyu said he was instructed by the Police Prosecution that the matter was supposed to be for mention today.
He checked with the registry officers but was told there was no file.
The matter was not listed for yesterday as well.
Biliki was accused of defrauding the government of more than $7.3 million.
The prosecution alleged that between January 1, 2012 and September 20, 2013, Biliki colluded with some public officers from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MoHMS) with the intention to defraud the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) on 15 occasions which totaled up to $7.3 million.
It was alleged that Biliki registered and operated a shipping agent business called Eroba Shipping Services.
It was also alleged that he assisted in setting up another shipping agent business called ‘Joke Shipping Services’ with the aim to also claim payments from the government.
These shipping agent businesses were allegedly used by Biliki and his associates and some officers from the MHMS, to get several payments from the government under Health Clinic Projects around some provinces.
The shipping services were set up to ship materials to the various project sites in the provinces – the service that was allegedly never done.
The accused and his cohorts allegedly claimed payments from the SIG with fictitious services or services that were never provided.
The accused allegedly shared the money with some of his close associates who aided him in the ‘deceptive’ deal, while some money was used to buy properties.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
