The National Court sentenced former acting chairman of the Securities Commission and Registrar of Companies Alex Tongayu to three years in jail, after finding him guilty of two counts of forgery.

Mr. Maru, the Minister for Trade Commerce and Industry, had requested information and advice on a change of a company’s ownership which he regarded as suspicious. Following an unsatisfactory response, Mr. Maru revoked Mr Tongayu’s appointment as acting chairman of the Securities Commission on October 20 2016.

In response, Mr Tongayu forged Mr Maru’s signature and it was inserted electronically on two instruments of appointment to the same roles to which he previously occupied. The instruments were published and gazetted while Maru was away in his electorate. However, Maru learned of the incident when he returned to Port Moresby and revoked the gazettes before reporting the matter to the Police.

When sentencing Mr Tongayu, Justice Berrigan stated that to forge the signature of a member of the Government is extremely serious and had tarnished the reputation of those offices and undermined the confidence of the public in the administration of government services. In August 2021, the National Court found Tongayu guilty of two counts of forgery and sentenced him to three years in prison.