A 51-year-old woman from Lautoka was sentenced to a month imprisonment for begging.

Niel Wati was found guilty of begging by Magistrate Rangajeeva Wimalasena.

According to police prosecutors, Ms Wati was begging along the streets of Lautoka City on December 17, 2015, when she was found by a social welfare officer.

Ms Wati had been begging despite receiving social welfare benefits that included assistance to set up a micro finance business at the Lautoka Municipal Market.

The social welfare recipient was then taken in by police officers following the alert by the Social Welfare Department.

In sentencing, Ms Wati was told that she was not supposed to be begging when receiving assistance from Government.

She was sentenced on August17.

According to police prosecutions office, there were six other begging cases before the Lautoka Magistrates Court.