Papua New Guinea Police allege that last July 29, Weleilakeba forged a payslip from the COMRADE Trustee Services Limited (CTSL) to himself showing that he was receiving pay as an employee at CSLT and pays taxes to Papua New Guinea (PNG) Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) and sent it to the Fiji tax office. Police further alleged that Weleilakeba’s letter to the Fijian tax office regarding his tax status in PNG was misleading. CTSL manages the PNG Defence Force Retirement Benefit Fund. Sitiveni Weleilakeba is its Statutory Manager
   |  Since 2003, Comrade Trustee Services Limited has been the proud trustee for the PNG Defence Force Retirement Benefit Fund  |
SITIVENI WELEILAKEBA CHARGED IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA
COMRADE Trustee Services Limited (CTSL) statutory manager Sitiveni Weleilakeba appeared in the Waigani Committal Court charged with dishonestly using more than K665,000 belonging to the fund.
Weleilakeba, from Fiji, was also charged with forgery and fraudulently utter. Magistrate Paul Nii, after reading the charges to Weleilakeba, extended his bail of K1,000 and told him not to leave the National Capital District without the court’s permission. Magistrate Nii also warned him not to have contact with the complainant on the matter. He told Weleilakeba to attend court at all times and ordered for his passport to be handed to the court this week. The matter was adjourned to March 10, for the submission of the police file.
Police alleged that last July 29, Weleilakeba forged a payslip from the CSLT to himself showing that he was receiving pay as an employee at CSLT and pays taxes to Papua New Guinea (PNG) Internal Revenue Commission (IRC) and sent it to the Fiji tax office.
Police further alleged that Weleilakeba’s letter to the Fijian tax office regarding his tax status in PNG was misleading.
It was alleged that in December Weleilakeba acting as the statutory manager for CSLT directed a payment of K665,482.45 from CSLT’s management account to IRC for his personal income liability which covered the period from January to November, 2021.
Police alleged that Weleilakeba had not paid his taxes to the IRC under his first two contracts until Dec 1, 2021, when the amount of K665,482.45 was paid by CSLT to IRC.
Weleilakeba was appointed as the statutory manager for CSLT by the Bank of PNG (BPNG) on July 31, 2019, to stop the bleeding of funds from Defence Force Retirement Benefit Funds (DFRBF).
His initial term of engagement was for one year which expired in July, 2020. On July 6, 2020 his initial contract was extended for seven months from July 7, 2020 to Feb 28, 2021.
On Feb 22, 2021, Weleilakeba signed another term of reference with BPNG on the same terms for his previous contact for period of two years.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LATE PM QARASE: 4 February 1941 – 21 April 2020
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Once again, the fingerprint of Coupist Rabuka lies behind Qarase TRIAL
After Sitiveni Rabuka's 1987 coups, the late Laisenia Qarase was called in by the Mara led interim government to help salvage and rebuild the shattered economy. Obliging, Qarase intorduced a nine-point plan which oversaw extended government assistance to i-taukei Fijians and the creation of the Fijian Holdings Ltd. In 1994, Qarase became chairman of Fiji Television but clashed with the Rabuka government for not consulting him over its plans to introduce US investment in the television company. In May 2006 his SDL party won the general election but, as we all know, Frank Bainimarama overthrew the SDL-FLP multi-ethnic government.
In 2011, Bainimarama regime brought retrospective charges against Qarase, accusing him of applying for Class A FHL shares and then facilitated the issuance and allotment of the shares to Cicia Plantation Co-op Society Ltd, Q-Ten Investments Ltd and Mavana Investments Ltd. Qarase was financial adviser for the Fijian Affairs Board and the now disbanded Great Council of Chiefs, as well as director of FHL. He was charged with six counts of abuse of office and three counts of discharge of duty with respect to a property in which he had a private interest. These were charges against him while he was the Director of FHL.
SITIVENI JITOKO WELEILAKEBA:
A close associate of Laisenia Qarase, and Chief Executive of FHL, Sitiveni Weleilakeba, also secured a loan of FJ$120,000 from the FDB on 17 March 1992 to buy FHL shares for FJ$150,000 (Office of Registrar of Companies 1997).
He was former FHL Secretary and CEO. In 2008, he was charged by FICAC with one count of giving false information by a public servant. FICAC told the Suva Magistrates Court that on 27 October 1992, Weleilakeba had given false information to the Registrar of Companies thereby causing the Registrar to declare that FHL was a public company. Later, Weleilakeba was charged jointly with Qarase but in 2011, FICAC informed the Suva High Court that FICAC had considered representations made by defence counsel CAESAR LATEEF to review the charges against his client Weleilakeba.
FICAC prosecutor Vinsent Perera stated that based on the grounds and the materials submitted by Lateef and a plain statement made by Weleilakeba, FICAC had decided to discontinue the proceedings against Weleilakeba. He was discharged of one count of Conspiracy to Effect an Unlawful Purpose that is to Contravene the Provisions of the Comapnies Cap Act, one count of Forgery and one count of Uteering a Forged Document after FICAC filed a Nolle Prosqui.
FICAC informed the Suva High Court that Weleilakeba would become a State Witness against deposed Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase. So, he did, and Qarase was convicted and sent to pris
In 2011, Bainimarama regime brought retrospective charges against Qarase, accusing him of applying for Class A FHL shares and then facilitated the issuance and allotment of the shares to Cicia Plantation Co-op Society Ltd, Q-Ten Investments Ltd and Mavana Investments Ltd. Qarase was financial adviser for the Fijian Affairs Board and the now disbanded Great Council of Chiefs, as well as director of FHL. He was charged with six counts of abuse of office and three counts of discharge of duty with respect to a property in which he had a private interest. These were charges against him while he was the Director of FHL.
SITIVENI JITOKO WELEILAKEBA:
A close associate of Laisenia Qarase, and Chief Executive of FHL, Sitiveni Weleilakeba, also secured a loan of FJ$120,000 from the FDB on 17 March 1992 to buy FHL shares for FJ$150,000 (Office of Registrar of Companies 1997).
He was former FHL Secretary and CEO. In 2008, he was charged by FICAC with one count of giving false information by a public servant. FICAC told the Suva Magistrates Court that on 27 October 1992, Weleilakeba had given false information to the Registrar of Companies thereby causing the Registrar to declare that FHL was a public company. Later, Weleilakeba was charged jointly with Qarase but in 2011, FICAC informed the Suva High Court that FICAC had considered representations made by defence counsel CAESAR LATEEF to review the charges against his client Weleilakeba.
FICAC prosecutor Vinsent Perera stated that based on the grounds and the materials submitted by Lateef and a plain statement made by Weleilakeba, FICAC had decided to discontinue the proceedings against Weleilakeba. He was discharged of one count of Conspiracy to Effect an Unlawful Purpose that is to Contravene the Provisions of the Comapnies Cap Act, one count of Forgery and one count of Uteering a Forged Document after FICAC filed a Nolle Prosqui.
FICAC informed the Suva High Court that Weleilakeba would become a State Witness against deposed Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase. So, he did, and Qarase was convicted and sent to pris
Ratu Timoci Vesikula
The late Ratu Timoci Vesikula
Another ghost from Rabuka's 1987 Coups also testified against Qarase. Vesikula told the Qarase trial that he had been the Minister for Fijian Affairs and Regional Development from 1992 June to October 1993 and was also the Deputy Prime Minister. He had also been a member of the GCC established under the Fijian Affairs Act. He stated that the FAB was the Secretariat of the GCC and explained the role of the GCC. He set out the purpose of establishing FHL which was in 1984 being the need for greater Fijian participation in areas of industrial and commerce in Fiji for the Fijian people to contribute more to the economy of the nation.
He also spoke about the Fijian Society being communalistic where everything was shared. In June 1992 Qarase was already the Financial Advisor to the FAB and the GCC. Qarase had been involved in the establishment of FHL from the very beginning and was appointed as a Director to represent the Class B shares. He had expected Qarase to be the protector of the interests of the Fijian Affairs and the GCC, the institutions of the Fijians, Provincial Councils, Tikina Councils and Village Councils.
Qarase was in FHL as a Director on appointment of the FAB to protect the interests of the Fijian people at large. Vesikula said that it was Qarase's fiduciary duty to protect the interests of the Fijian Affairs, the GCC and other Fijian Institutions under them. Though the Minister of Fijian Affairs was the ultimate protector, as Financial Advisor to the FAB and to the GCC, the Financial Advisor had a greater responsibility there because of that role. He had not come across any declaration of interests by the Appellant in respect of Q-Ten, CPCS and Mavana in the files of the Ministry of Fijian Affairs nor in the GCC.
When he assumed office, Vesikula had occasion to see the file pertaining to FHL shares and was shocked to see that 80% of A Class shares were owned by Fijian families and the Provincial Councils, NLTB, FAB and the Koula people owned only 20% shares as the Company was established for Fijian Institutions on behalf of the Fijian people.
Another ghost from Rabuka's 1987 Coups also testified against Qarase. Vesikula told the Qarase trial that he had been the Minister for Fijian Affairs and Regional Development from 1992 June to October 1993 and was also the Deputy Prime Minister. He had also been a member of the GCC established under the Fijian Affairs Act. He stated that the FAB was the Secretariat of the GCC and explained the role of the GCC. He set out the purpose of establishing FHL which was in 1984 being the need for greater Fijian participation in areas of industrial and commerce in Fiji for the Fijian people to contribute more to the economy of the nation.
He also spoke about the Fijian Society being communalistic where everything was shared. In June 1992 Qarase was already the Financial Advisor to the FAB and the GCC. Qarase had been involved in the establishment of FHL from the very beginning and was appointed as a Director to represent the Class B shares. He had expected Qarase to be the protector of the interests of the Fijian Affairs and the GCC, the institutions of the Fijians, Provincial Councils, Tikina Councils and Village Councils.
Qarase was in FHL as a Director on appointment of the FAB to protect the interests of the Fijian people at large. Vesikula said that it was Qarase's fiduciary duty to protect the interests of the Fijian Affairs, the GCC and other Fijian Institutions under them. Though the Minister of Fijian Affairs was the ultimate protector, as Financial Advisor to the FAB and to the GCC, the Financial Advisor had a greater responsibility there because of that role. He had not come across any declaration of interests by the Appellant in respect of Q-Ten, CPCS and Mavana in the files of the Ministry of Fijian Affairs nor in the GCC.
When he assumed office, Vesikula had occasion to see the file pertaining to FHL shares and was shocked to see that 80% of A Class shares were owned by Fijian families and the Provincial Councils, NLTB, FAB and the Koula people owned only 20% shares as the Company was established for Fijian Institutions on behalf of the Fijian people.
DRUG CHARGES: Weleilakeba's former lawyer Caesar (Shazran Abdul) Lateef has been in and out of court, charged with different drug offences
