Doreen Tatut from the East New Britain province was a lodgement officer with the Department of Lands. Ms Tatus was sentenced to three years but the sentence was suspended and she will complete community service.

Ms Tatut solicited K450 from an individual to replace a property title. The individual paid the legal application fee of K500 and was issued an official receipt, and then Ms Tatut asked for an additional K450.

The case was revealed when the title document could not be issued and the matter was reported to the police.

On sentencing Ms Tatut, Justice Berrigan said that public officials are demanding money for simply doing their job. The judge described corruption as a cancer that grows until it becomes so entrenched and becomes accepted as a normal part of doing business in the public sector.

Ms Tatut was found guilty and sentenced to three years in prison for one count of official corruption,  However the sentence was reduced,  on receipt of a K2000 fine and community work for up to a day per week for a year.