BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
CLOSING submission on the case against Ellison Raoga, charged for corruption related offences, will be heard in the Honiara Magistrate Court today
Both prosecution and defence will be filing their closing submission to the court before the court can make its judgment on the case.
Mr Ellison Raoga pleaded not guilty to one count of official corruption and six counts of fraudulent falsification of accounts.
Raoga was arrested and charged by members of Task Force Janus, accusing him of receiving payments for remitting a company’s tax worth more than $100,000.
The accused worked as a compliance officer when he allegedly committed the offences between 2015 and June 16 of last year.
The allegations said Mr Raoga with another person, having completed the Tax Assessments in respect to a Honiara-based logging company trading as Delta Timber Limited, allegedly entered into negotiations with a representative of that timber company for the waiver of their tax liabilities.
He then solicited $30,000 payment for reducing Delta Timber Limited arrears to a zero balance, and then allegedly received $5,000 paid to him in two transactions.
According to the record Raoga was the second person to be arrested and charged for corruption offences since the Janus Taskforce was established.
Bradley Dalipanda of the office of the Director Public Prosecution appears for the crown.
