A SENIOR government officer accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $800,000 of public funds through dishonest tender processes did not take his pleas last Friday.
Steven Jude Oto was likely to enter his pleas on the 11 counts of official corruption against him on December 19.
That’s when he will return to the Honiara Magistrate’s Court again.
Oto’s appearance on Friday was for him to enter his pleas to the charges.
Public Prosecutor John Wesley Zoze, who appeared on instruction of his colleague Florence Joel, however told the court that prosecution received additional statements from investigators.
He said those statements were served to the defence counsel on Thursday and therefore the defence would need time to get instructions from the accused.
In relation to the status of investigation on this matter, Mr Zoze said they have not received confirmation from the police as of yet as to whether it is still continuing or had completed.
An adjournment was sought to give time for the defence to obtain further instructions from the accused.
Chief Magistrate John Numapo on adjourning the matter said on the next mention date the court will hear if some more disclosures would be served.
Lazarus Kwaiga of L & L Lawyers represents Oto.
He did not appear yesterday in court as he was engaged in the High Court but has given instructions to one of his colleagues.
Oto was the first public officer to have been arrested by the Taskforce Janus, a partnership between the Ministry of Police and Ministry of Finance, set up specifically to target fraud within the public service.
At the time of his arrest, Oto was the Financial Controller within the Ministry of Police and Correctional Services as well as a member of the ministry’s tender board.
Oto was charged after the Ministry of Finance and Treasury lodged a complaint with the police.
The prosecution alleged that on 26 March 2015, Oto was appointed as a member of the Ministry of Police National Security and Correctional Services Ministerial Tender Board.
A requirement of this appointment was that he familiarise himself with the processes set out in the Solomon Islands Financial Instructions.
It was alleged that between 1 December 2015 and 18 August 2016, Jahman Enterprise, a company Oto allegedly set up and owned, answered calls for tenders and has been awarded business contracts for service to the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services on 11 different occasions.
A number of these transactions have required Certificate of Registration of Business name from the Company Haus to be submitted together with the tender.
Police alleged Oto, on a number of occasions, supplied a falsified Certificate of Registration of Business name, removing his own name from this certificate and replacing it with the name Edward Laufooa, to conceal his identity.
His business Jahman Enterprise was alleged to have subsequently invoiced the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services, who have made payments totally up to $817, 256.50 to Jahman Enterprises for these services,” a police brief tendered to the court, said.
“Those payments were also alleged to have been made into an account which Oto is the sole signatory,” the document said.
On a number of occasions, Oto has certified requisitions as the Accountable Officer and on occasions, would allegedly certified that goods and services have been received.”
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN