FNPF Fraud Case Trial Begins

The trial of four people, who were allegedly involved in an illegal operation to obtain funds from the Fiji National Provident Fund, commenced at the Magistrates Court in Suva yesterday.

Former FNPF employee Jack Edward Hiramatsu, 41, has been charged with five counts of forgery for allegedly forging various legal documents pertaining to the purchase of land.

A former employee of iTaukei Lands Trust Board, Adi Mara Rufina Qaranivalu, 32, has been charged with one count of forgery for allegedly forging a certificate of Title.

High school teacher Seini Pece Tadulala, 32, has been charged with one count each of using forged documents and obtaining financial advantage by deception for allegedly obtaining $7300 from FNPF using forged documents.

Naval officer Melisateki Sara, 40, has been charged with one count each of using forged documents and of obtaining financial advantage by deception for allegedly obtaining $30,200 from FNPF using forged documents. They appeared before Magistrate Deepika Prakash.

Details

The alleged offences took place between June 6 and June 11, 2019, where Qaranivalu is alleged to have given a certificate of title to Hiramatsu after tampering with the said document knowing very well that he will use the said title for the withdrawal of funds from the FNPF.

Hiramatsu allegedly altered the title and lodged the same together with other forged documents at FNPF to assume that Tadulala and Sara are prospective buyers of the property.

Tadulala and Sara then allegedly submitted their original Urban Housing Assistance withdrawal forms to Hiramatsu with the intention of inducing FNPF officials to accept it as genuine and upon its acceptance, to dishonestly obtain a gain to the total amount of $37,500 which was released from their FNPF accounts.

The money was allegedly shared among all the accused persons.

The trial is presided by Magistrate Joseph Daurewa.

Hiramatsu, Sara and Tadulala were present in court, however, Qaranivalu was not present.

In court yesterday, the state witness from the FNPF told the court that one of the applicants, whose application was received by the FNPF, contained the signature and thumb print of Tadulala which was verified with her FNPF member account.

The witness also told the court that Tadulala had requested the amount of $7300 in her application for housing.

The witness also gave a brief of how the FNPF worked in terms of housing and other forms of assistance from member accounts.

The trial continues before Magistrate Daurewa today.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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