Court registrar Ian Augerea arrested, charged

Supreme Court registrar Ian Augerea has been arrested and charged with perverting the course of justice.

Augerea was arrested this morning and taken to police headquarters in Port Moresby, where he was questioned before being taken to Boroko police station.

Augerea’s arrest follows the charging of Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia last week.

Police alleged that Sir Salamo disobeyed a court order and illegally redirected a payment of K213, 000, which was meant for the adopted son of the late Justice Timothy Hinchliffe, to the court’s trust account.

They alleged that Sir Salamo and others, including Augerea,  had “conspired” and ignored a National Court order of 2009 issued by former judge, Justice Mark Sevua, ordering the National Judicial Staff Services to pay Hinchliffe’s entitlements to Hinchliffe’s adopted son Timothy Morere Sari Junior.

However, the payment was instead redirected to the court’s trust account on Sir Salamo’s instruction.

Police alleged that the actions of the chief justice to circumvent a valid order of the court were contemptuous and criminal in nature.

Police, therefore, carried out investigations and made the arrest.