COURT DISMISSED CHARGE AGAINST MTSL DIRECTORS/CEO; TWO ADDITIONAL CHARGES REFERED TO NATIONAL COURT

IN the Committal Court, Waigani yesterday, Magistrate Paul Puri Nii, having previously dismissed a charge laid in July 2023 by Police against a director of Melanesian Trustee Services Limited, Major General (Retired) Jerry Singirok on the grounds that it was legally defective, referred two additional charges to the National Court for its consideration, commencing on 7th July 2025.

Mr Nii included in his decision identical police charges laid against Mr Peter Mase, also a director of MTSL, and the company’s Co-Chief Executive Officer, Lawrence Stephens.

Mr Singirok expressed relief and gratitude when welcoming, once again, the dismissal of the charge.

“This decision has been a long time coming and it is good to see that it has now been made.

Based on lies and false assumptions we have been subjected to public arrests, distressing media coverage and untruthful statements as to our integrity.

We are sure that we have been the victims of a malicious conspiracy, and it is a relief to now see, after 11 months, at least one of the ridiculous charges against us dismissed”.

Mr. Singirok added: “We note also that two other charges against us, which we also know to be demonstrably groundless, have been referred by His Worship to the National Court.

We remain disappointed by this, convinced that the evidence does not support the charges.

Nevertheless, we look forward to the facts behind these charges being examined by the Court and made public, exposing the conspirators and their misuse of government agencies to benefit themselves and their cronies”.