FIVE people charged in connection to the $10 million scandal within the Ministry of Health and Medical Services are now waiting for their trial dates.
The matter of former health workers, Stephen Dalipanda, Randy Hatigeva, Dalcy Maena, Robert Manu and a local contractor, Tigi Sikele, was mentioned yesterday in the High Court.
Justice Leonard Maina, having mentioned the matter, adjourned it to August 11 to update counsel about the trial dates.
The court will be hearing two separate trials on this matter.
The matter of former Finance Controller Dalipanda, former Senior Accountant Hatigeva and former Accounts Officer Maena will be heard together, whilst that of former Procurement Officer Manu and Sikele will be heard together in a trial.
All defendants are facing two counts of false pretences.
Prosecution alleged Dalipanda approved some payments that form part of the $10million while Hatigeva allegedly endorsed the payments and other documents.
Maena allegedly processed fictitious quotes, invoices and claims for non-executed services or duplicated payments from fake shipping including a private company that she set up.
Prosecution alleged Manu processed some payments to two non-genuine shipping companies.
It was alleged that Sikele, who is a local contractor, and other public servants from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services colluded with fake shipping agents to defraud the Solomon Islands Government for millions of dollars.
The two shipping agents are John Biliki and Wesley Poloso of Eroba Shipping Service and Joke Shipping Service, who defrauded the Solomon Islands Government for approximately $7.3 million.
One of the alleged fake shipping agents, a 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 owner of the other alleged fake shipping agent, Biliki’s matter has been discontinued in 2019 in the High Court after Biliki died due to illness.
These millions of dollars were aid donor funding and Solomon Islands Government money purposely to support and improve rural health services.
Prosecution alleged that these have severely affected the implementation of health projects in the rural areas and had an unfavourable impact on provision of government health services in the rural areas.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
