Judge: Extra 100 Days Behind Bars If Fine Not Paid

A former Fiji Independent Com­mission Against Corruption (FICAC) Assistant Complaints Officer, who was sentenced yesterday, will spend an extra 100 days in prison if his fine is not paid by August 30, 2019.

Suliasi Sukanaivalu who was sen­tenced to four years and eight months in prison by Resident Magistrate, Ban­dula Gunaratne at the Lautoka Magis­trates Court, was also told to pay a fine of $1000 after he was found guilty of corruption-related charges.

The accused was charged by FICAC in 2013 with one count each of solicit­ing an advantage, obtaining a financial advantage and false statement on oath.

In 2012, the accused asked for $500 from an individual seeking his assis­tance as a public officer to cover his debt. In recovering the debt, he took $400 and had made a false statement to the Small Claims Tribunal in the Western Division that he had served a Notice of Hearing to the person he had collected the debt from.

Resident Magistrate Gunaratne said that as a public officer, he was entrust­ed with honesty and loyalty and his ac­tions were dishonest to his employers which breached the trust of the public layman.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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