A former department of Town and Country Planning employee, convicted of obtaining a financial advantage and causing a loss totalling about $28,000, has been sentenced to three-year and six-month imprisonment.
Courtney Suka Rakokoti pleaded guilty to one count each of obtaining a financial advantage and causing a loss.
Rakokoti was sentenced by Magistrate Vinaina Diroiroi on September 29 at the Suva Magistrate’s Court.
Between January 1 and August 31, 2017, Raikokoti received payments from customers for various fees and services but, failed to deposit the same daily, resulting in her obtaining a total of $14,723.90.
Rakokoti also failed to deposit cheque payments totalling $13,597.10.
She also pleaded guilty to the third count of obtaining a financial advantage and an alternative count of falsification of documents in 2021.
In that same period, she altered two receipts and, as a result, obtained a financial advantage of $560.05.
She also dishonestly falsified two receipts valued at $559.05.
The case was handled by Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption Junior State Lawyer Joshua Francis Prasad.
Rakokoti will be eligible for parole after serving two years.
She has 28 days to appeal to the High Court.
