The headmistress of an elementary school in Port Moresby has been committed to stand trial for corruption, according to PNG Education News.
According to the Waigani Committal Court magistrate Paul Puri Nii, there is sufficient evidence to commit the headmistress of Bomana Elementary School, Joycelyn Tapaua, to stand trial for the alleged misuse of over K54,000 of the Government’s Tuition Fee Free (TFF) subsidy meant for the school.
Police allege that Tapaua misused the TFF and the school’s project fees in 2020. They also allege that she also misused over K2,000 of the school canteen rentals. However, Tapaua argued that the monies were used for its intended purposes and was not abused.
Tapaua had put in a submission on September 14 this year objecting to the evidence provided by police. She claimed that they had failed to prove the elements of the charges.
The case is ongoing.