McILLWAIN HAS CASE TO ANSWER

McIllwain. Getty Images

The National Court in Waigani has found chairman of Air Niugini Garth McIllwain to have a case to answer to in court, relating to fraud charges.

In a court ruling this week, Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika says he finds that there is enough evidence against Mr. McIllwain on seven fraud charges.

The charges allege McIllwain of falsely creating a fixed-and-floating charge against Madang businessman Peter Yama and his group of companies, at a time when he was never an employee of the former Papua New Guinea Banking Corporation.

Court evidence allege McIllwain of falsely creating the fixed and floating charge documents in 2000 and dating them back to 1999.

As a result of the fixed and floating charge, Yama's group of companies were heavily hit to repay money from the bank, to a point were some of their operations ceased.

Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika says there is no doubt about the evidence before the court, that McIllwain must answer to the charges.

McIllwain and his lawyers will now make their case in response to the charge.

The court will then make a ruling on whether McIllwain is guilty of the offences.