Military Officers Plead Not Guilty To Bribery
An assistant purchasing clerk and a works warrant officer with the Republic of Fiji Military Forces yesterday pleaded not guilty to bribery offences in two separate cases at the Suva Magistrates Court.
In the first case, assistant purchasing clerk, Waisale Sorokacika who is charged alongside businessman Ajesh Sharma and military officer Elazar Adrian Luciano, pleaded not guilty to two counts of bribery.
In a separate matter, Josese Radaniva Vusoniceva, a works warrant officer, who is charged alongside businessman Ajesh Sharma, also pleaded not guilty to one count of bribery.
Magistrate Waleen George adjourned both matters to the November 23 for mention to fix a hearing date.
In the first case, it is alleged that Ajesh Sharma, between the period April 1, 2014 and August 31, 2015, at Labasa, whilst being Manager Sales of Buildex Marketing Limited, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, offered advantages to the sum of $5404 to Sorokacika, of the RFMF Engineers Unit, on account of Sorokacika’s performing an act in his capacity as a public servant.
Further to that, it is also alleged that Sharma, between the period August 1 2015 and August 31, 2015, in Labasa, offered advantages to the sum of $600 to Luciano, of the RFMF Engineers Unit, on account of Luciano’s performing an act in his capacity as a public servant.
Sorokacika and Luciano are also alleged to have accepted the said advantages from Sharma without lawful authority or reasonable excuse to do so during the same periods.
In a separate incident it is also alleged that the same Ajesh Sharma between the period January 1 and September 30, 2015, in Labasa, whilst being the Manager Sales of Buildex Marketing Limited, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, offered advantages to a total sum of $9906 to Vusoniceva on account of the named officer performing an act in his capacity as a public servant.
Vusoniceva is alleged to have accepted the said advantage from Sharma without lawful authority or reasonable excuse to do so.
Source: FICAC
Feedback: jyotip@fijisun.com.fj
