POLICE Detectives from the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate (NFACD) have arrested and formally charged a former Acting and Deputy Bursar of the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) for his alleged involvement in an extensive financial fraud and database manipulation scheme.
Director National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate, Detective Robert Volo said that the police investigation revealed that between 2018 and 2021, the suspect leveraged unauthorized access to the University Student Information System (USIS) and attacked Accounting System.
Police alleged that between December 2020 and March 2021, the suspect allegedly accessed the USIS database on 20 separate occasions to execute fraudulent transfers totaling K602,785.87.
Police also alleged that the suspect allegedly recruited student intermediaries to facilitate the fraudulent registration of 194 students for Semester two (2) 2021. An Internal UPNG audit verified that the university was defrauded of K445,860.00 as a result, leading the University Council to approve the de-registration of all 194 affected students.
It was further alleged that the suspect manipulated fee credits including funds allocated from government grants
such as the Kompiam Ambum District Services Improvement Program (DSIP) to unlawfully credit non-qualifying accounts and facilitated unauthorized degree certifications.
Mr Volo said following a formal complaint and extensive investigation commencing in May 2024, arrest warrants were issued by the Waigani Committal Court where the suspect was apprehended and interviewed on 04th August, 2026. The suspect was later arrested and detained at the Boroko Metropolitan Cells.
The offender should be punished because in Papua New Guinea (PNG), we have been a victim of such misappropriation of funds. As a UPNG student, I feel the pain of having such a bad reputation on my institution.
The suspected criminal should be tried under the criminal act and the poor students must be accorded what they deservedly missed from university..
Such illegal things should be completely stopped. This is the university of Papua New Guinea, not like our primary and elementary schools in our district and villages. Please professional man, act and think at that level and not to come down. Let the ones on the street to practice such things, not us the good officers…
Who is that Bursar?
How will those students who were affected assisted?
And why is the name of this suspect not published?
Check other universities too. Such might have happened i presume.
In the Highest Institution, yet they could not detect that at the first place. Investigate the others. They might have been his accomplishes. How could someone manhandle those transactions without anyone picking that up. There is no logic there. Does not make sense. Its was more like he was manipulating an elementry school account.
I kindly ask to do investigation for all institution.
Do investigation for all institution across the country.
Please just arrest that culprit and sentence him to a maximum of 40 to 50 years in jail would be better. Make it public, post him in all media platforms so that everyone will see. Shame on him.
The Government should just pass a law or bill that whoever steals public money or involved in malpractice should be sentence to death penalty . It has gone from bad to worse , corruption is crippling this nation !!