Former employees of Fiji National Provident Fund and iTaukei Land Trust Board have been remanded in custody by the Magistrates Court in Suva.

A former employee of the Fund, Jack Edward Hiramatsu, 41, and former clerk for the Board, Adi Mara Rufina Qaranivalu, 32, appeared before Magistrate Liyanage Wickramasekara yesterday for their bail ruling.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Pauliasi Lutunauga told the court to remand the two in Police custody on the grounds that would appear today on fresh charges.

Magistrate Wickramasekara said the court could not remand them in Police custody because the law did not authorise him to do so.

He said the Police could speak with the remand authorities to conduct their investigations for fresh charges.

He also ordered both the accused persons to file a formal bail application each. He issued a production order for both to appear in court today.

Magistrate Wickramasekara adjourned the matter for mention to August 30 on the initial charged.

Hiramatsu and Qaranivalu are charged with four others in an alleged Fund fraud case.

Hiramatsu and Qaranivalu along with four other accused persons are alleged to have colluded to use forged Certificate of Titles to withdraw more than $31,000 from four of the accused persons Fund accounts.

The alleged incident took place between June 7 and 24, this year.

The charges:

Hiramatsu has been charged with five counts of forgery for allegedly forging various legal documents pertaining to the purchase of land.

Qaranivalu has been charged with one count of forgery for allegedly forging Certificate of Title No. 19762.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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