The National, Tuesday 13th March 2012
By JACOB POK
NATIONAL Court registrar Ian Augerea was arrested by police yesterday and charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Police picked up Augerea at around 8am and took him to the police headquarters to be interviewed.
He is implicated in the case which also saw Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia appear in the Waigani Committal Court last week.
It was in relation to a complaint lodged in 2009 with the national fraud and anti-corruption squad by Timothy Moere Sarri Junior, the adopted son of former judge Timothy Hinchliffe. After the judge died, he left his estate to his adopted son.
Justice Mark Sevua granted the probate of Hinchliffe’s will to Timothy.
But police alleged that Sir Salamo, Augerea and others conspired to pervert the course of justice by circumventing the order by Sevua on May 11, 2009.
Sarri said before his adopted father died, he signed a will in his name. He then engaged Judy Nandape and Associate Lawyers to apply for the will of probate in the National Court to have the entitlements paid to him.
Sevua ordered the National Judicial Staff Services to pay Sarri a sum of K213,069.90.
The NJSS raised a BSP cheque for that amount, dated June 19, 2009, and made payable to the lawyers.After the cheque was paid to the lawyers, Sir Salamo was said to have directed Augerea to recall the cheque from the law firm. The cheque was cancelled and a new one was raised for the same amount and paid into the NJSS trust account.
After he was interviewed, Augerea was released on his own recognisance.
The arrest comes after Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga defended last week’s arrest of Sir Salamo, saying police had been prevented from investigating him since allegations were first raised in 2009.
NATIONAL Court registrar Ian Augerea was arrested by police yesterday and charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Police picked up Augerea at around 8am and took him to the police headquarters to be interviewed.
He is implicated in the case which also saw Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia appear in the Waigani Committal Court last week.
It was in relation to a complaint lodged in 2009 with the national fraud and anti-corruption squad by Timothy Moere Sarri Junior, the adopted son of former judge Timothy Hinchliffe. After the judge died, he left his estate to his adopted son.
Justice Mark Sevua granted the probate of Hinchliffe’s will to Timothy.
But police alleged that Sir Salamo, Augerea and others conspired to pervert the course of justice by circumventing the order by Sevua on May 11, 2009.
Sarri said before his adopted father died, he signed a will in his name. He then engaged Judy Nandape and Associate Lawyers to apply for the will of probate in the National Court to have the entitlements paid to him.
Sevua ordered the National Judicial Staff Services to pay Sarri a sum of K213,069.90.
The NJSS raised a BSP cheque for that amount, dated June 19, 2009, and made payable to the lawyers.After the cheque was paid to the lawyers, Sir Salamo was said to have directed Augerea to recall the cheque from the law firm. The cheque was cancelled and a new one was raised for the same amount and paid into the NJSS trust account.
After he was interviewed, Augerea was released on his own recognisance.
The arrest comes after Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga defended last week’s arrest of Sir Salamo, saying police had been prevented from investigating him since allegations were first raised in 2009.
