PNG Finance Department Official Found Guilty of Misusing Millions
Former PNG Finance Department Deputy Secretary Jacob Yafai has been convicted by the National Court on charges of misappropriation and abuse of office. The verdict was delivered by Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika.
The court found Yafai guilty of misappropriating over K40 million of state funds between 2012 and 2013. He faced four counts of misappropriation amounting to K41.8 million, as well as an additional count of abuse of office.
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| PNG Finance Department Official Jacob Yafai Found Guilty of Misusing Millions [Photo supplied] |
During the proceedings, it was revealed that the payments were unlawfully directed to Paul Paraka Lawyers through unauthorized transactions. Yafai was accused of disregarding proper procedures and failing to follow directives from his superiors.
Prosecutors maintained that Yafai neglected to verify the legitimacy of the claims before approving them, which facilitated the unlawful diversion of government funds.
In his defense, Yafai said that he was acting on orders from then Finance Minister James Marape. However, the court found that he did not carry out the necessary checks expected of a senior finance officer.
Chief Justice Salika ruled that Yafai’s conduct was dishonest and represented a clear abuse of power, stressing that he had betrayed the trust of his position.
Yafai remains on bail while awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for September 9, 2025.
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