BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
PRE-TRIAL conference into the case against two men alleged of corrupting the RWASH project in 2016 will be made on March 5.
Hilly Manase and Wilson Innie were arrested in June last year for numerous incidents of conversion and false pretences committed in Honiara with a substantial amount of money involved.
The allegation said there were two separate projects funded by the European Union for Rural Water and Sanitation Hygiene (RWASH) through the Ministry of Health and Medical Services sometime in 2016.
GPPOL 1 in Guadalcanal province and Kanaba in the Renbel province water tanks projects are ongoing projects for construction in the RWASH programme for 2016. However during that time the MHMS found out that these two projects had some shortfalls on water tanks for the construction of the projects in January 2016.
The shortfalls include 12 5000 litres and two 2000 litres for GPPOL 1 project and 22 3000 litres for Kanaba water tank project.
Upon discussion with the RWASH Programme Manager at that time, he then later collected proforma quotes from the Island Tank Company and proceeded to raise two separate requisitions for the two projects respectively.
One requisition was raised against the name of Derick Willie who was the then RWASH Programme Manager for GPPOL 1 for the total amount of $99,340 for 12 5000 litres tanks and two 2000 litres tanks.
The second requisition was raised against the name of Henry Kato who was RWASH accountant for Kanaba community in Renbel Province for the $95,260 for 22 3000 litres tanks.
These two payments were raised for Island Tank company respectively in respect to the above two figures for the total of 36 water tanks.
It has been confirmed that there were two SIG cheques printed and payments were already made through the bank account of Island Tank, having receiving the money the company manufactured the water tanks and were all stored at the Island Tank compound ready for collection by the RWASH.
Police further alleged that while waiting for the collection Mr Hilly mentioned it to the other defendant and asked him to identify any buyer for the tanks.
It was during that time the two defendants Mr Hilly and Mr Innie were involved in selling the tanks on cheaper price, it is alleged.
