PNG Court Jails Former Finance Deputy Secretary for 22 Years Over Paraka Funds

​The Waigani National Court has sentenced former Deputy Secretary for Finance, Jacob Yafai, to 22 years in prison with hard labor after finding him guilty of misappropriating K41.8 million linked to payments made to Paul Paraka Lawyers.

Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika handed down the decision, describing Yafai’s actions as a grave breach of public trust. The senior official was convicted on four counts of misappropriation and one count of abuse of office.

Yafai was sentenced to 20 years on each of the misappropriation charges and two years on the abuse of office count, with all terms to run concurrently. Although prosecutors sought a 42-year jail term, the court settled on a 22-year sentence.

State prosecutor Linda Maru said the ruling must send a clear warning to other public servants who misuse their authority and drain the nation’s resources. “This case shows how deeply corruption can affect ordinary Papua New Guineans,” she told the court.

Defense lawyer Edward Sasingian urged leniency, arguing that his client had cooperated with investigators and should receive a suspended sentence. However, the court disagreed, ruling that the gravity of the offence demanded imprisonment.

Sasingian later announced his client’s intention to appeal the ruling at the Supreme Court, maintaining that the punishment was disproportionate.

The sentencing of Yafai marks another significant milestone in Papua New Guinea’s ongoing fight against corruption within the public service sector.

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