BY ROMINAH FAKA
Trial of the Ministry of Health and Medical Service million-dollar scheme has adjourned for Monday September 23 for the defence’s case.
The defence counsel will call two witnesses the accused Robert Manu and one other witness.
On the last occasion, court make directions for the defence case to commence on November 18 however, defence lawyer for accused Manu inform the court he wants to continue with the defence case before he went for his medical checkup.
Prosecution charged Robert Many with four counts of Official Corruption contrary to section 91 (a) of the Penal Code Cap 26.
Manu pleaded not guilty to all the charges and trial was conducted.
Prosecution alleged between 2012 and 2013, the Ministry of Health and Medical Service (MHMS) has suffered from a 10-million -dollar conducted by officers within the ministry.
Within that same scheme between November 2012 and August 2013, MHMS also made 15 payments totaling 47,301,453.40 to two shipping companies, Eroba Shipping Services (Eroba) and Joke Shipping (Joke). Both companies were managed by John Biliki and Wesley Poloso.
An internal audit by MHMS in August 2013 uncovered significant irregularities with these payments.
The audit found all 15 payments to be fraudulent and suspected collusion between MHMS officials, as well as shipping agents, to defraud the Solomon Islands Government by bypassing application for project proposals.
The accused Robert Manu, who was a Procurement Officer at MHMS, was involved in raising 12 of these 15 payments.
Office of Public Prosecution appears for Crown and Jim Seuika for the accused Manu.
