A FORMER supermarket manager and his co-accused have both been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with a one-year non-parole period for stealing $37,492.25 worth of grocery items from Foodcity Pte Ltd Supermarket in Suva.
Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne sentenced Ronal Roneet Singh and Sanil Singh in Suva earlier this month after they were convicted of one count of theft following a full trial.
The court heard that between August 12, 2019, and October 1, 2019, Ronal, who was employed as the supermarket manager, instructed an accounts clerk to prepare unauthorised purchase orders stamped with the company seal.
These documents were handed to Sanil, who used them to collect goods from the CJ Patel warehouse. Although Foodcity paid for the items, the groceries were never delivered to the supermarket, and the accounts clerk received a share of the proceeds.
Magistrate Somaratne noted that none of the stolen items was recovered and no restitution had been made to the company.
Refusing to suspend the sentence, Magistrate Somaratne emphasised that breach of trust and fraud offences striking at commercial operations warrant immediate imprisonment, particularly where no remorse or restitution is shown.
