TRIAL into the alleged corruption case against the former permanent secretary of the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services, Edmond Sikua, continues on Thursday.
Prosecution is now in the process of extracting evidence from their second witness after completing their first witness on Wednesday mid- morning.
The first witness is the Chief Infrastructure Officer of the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Service, Christine Suri (MPNS& CS).
He gave evidence on Tuesday and was cross examined yesterday by the defence.
Prosecution has a total of 26 witnesses.
They are witnesses from the MPNS& CS, officers from Police Infrastructure Department and Accounts Department, some police officers from Hells Point and a witness from the Leadership Code Commission (LCC).
Sikua is facing seven counts of official corruption.
Prosecution alleged he awarded government tenders worth $630,436.50 to Beeds Investment on 22 December 2016, a company registered and owned by his two daughters.
He was alleged to have awarded government tenders worth $630,436.50 to Beeds Investment on 22 December 2016, a company registered and owned by his two daughters.
Prosecution alleged that as permanent secretary, Sikua is by default the chairman of his ministry’s tender board.
It was alleged that between 18 December 2015 and 29 August 2016 Beeds Investments responded to calls for tenders and was awarded business contracts for service delivery to the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services on seven different occasions.
The Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services have made payments of $630,436.50 to Beeds Investments for these services.
Prosecution further alleged that Sikua used his position of power and influence within the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services to manipulate the tendering process for his own and his family’s pecuniary advantage.
Sikua is the third public officer to have been arrested by Janus, since the establishment of the joint taskforce in August 2016.
He is represented by Gabriel Suri of Suri’s Law Practice while Public Prosecutor Bradley Dalipanda appears for the Crown.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
