TRIAL on the alleged million dollar fraud case against the former permanent secretary for the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) Henry Murray and his wife Rose will commence next week in the Honiara Magistrates’ Court.
The matter was brought to the court on Wednesday for the last interim mention and was then adjourned for the month long trial starting on February 21.
Prosecution has previously anticipated calling a total of 41 witnesses for this trial.
Murray is facing 15 counts of official corruption while his wife faces 19 counts of false pretense.
Murray and his wife are accused of defrauding the government of more than $1 million between April 2014 and May 2017.
They were arrested by the anti-corruption task force JANUS.
Both were charged in relation to a company they allegedly set up in 2014, not long after Murray was appointed permanent secretary, and which received $1, 151,850 of public funds approved by Murray.
Prosecution alleged they registered the Krash Transport & Marketing as a business with the Company Haus on 11 February 2014.
They then allegedly opened an ANZ bank account to which they were both signatories.
It was alleged that on 15 August 2014, the defendant and his wife registered the business entity Krash Transport and Marketing with the Inland Revenue Division (IRD) of the Ministry of Finance & Treasury (MoFT) for tax purposes.
Between April 2014 and May 2017, it was alleged Krash Transport and Marketing have entered into agreements with the Ministry of Infrastructure Development.
These agreements as alleged have been for the hire of motor vehicles for personnel of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, including the Permanent Secretary Murray himself.
Police alleged that the Ministry of Finance and Treasury, through the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, has made of more than $1million Krash Transport and Marketing for motor vehicle hires.
These payments, which were allegedly made through cheques and electronic funds transfers, were deposited into their ANZ account in the name of Krash Transport and Marketing.
The L & L Lawyers is representing Murray and his wife while Public Prosecutor Florence Joel is appearing for the Crown.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
