Former Post Fiji CEO Dr Anirudha Bansod appeared in the Suva Magistrate’s Court on Monday, with former head of human resources and the acting head of finance, Ashish Chand and Dharmend Chand, on corruption-related charges.
They were charged by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) and the matters were called before magistrate Krishan Prasad.
In the first case, the former CEO, Dr Bansod, was charged with one count of abuse of office and one count of general dishonesty causing a loss.
He was alleged to have provided a false confidentiality and conflict of interest declaration for the tender of the design, development, and implementation of the Post Fiji mobile app and breached the confidentiality of the tender procedure.
It was also alleged that between August 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, he caused a loss to Post Fiji by dishonestly authorising the reimbursement of travel expenses incurred by him from Dubai to Nagpur, India, knowing the substantial risk of a loss occurring.
In the second case Dr Bansod, Ashish, and Dharmendra were charged with one count each of obtaining a financial advantage.
It was alleged that between August 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022, Dr Bansod received a relocation allowance of $15,000 despite the renewal of his contract, and knowing or believing that he was not eligible to receive that allowance, obtained a financial advantage.
It was also alleged that while Ashish and Dharmend were employed as the human resources head and acting finance head at Post Fiji, facilitated the $15,000 relocation allowance payment to Dr Bansod, knowing he was not eligible to receive that allowance because his contract had been renewed.
They were all granted cash bail for $2000.
Mr Prasad ordered them not to re-offend while on bail, not to interfere with prosecution witnesses, and not to change their residential addresses without first informing the court, they were ordered to surrender their travel documents, and that a stop departure order be issued against them.
Dr Bansod was ordered to report to the FICAC Lautoka office while Ashish and Dharmend were to report to the FICAC Suva office on the last working day of every month.
The matter has been adjourned to September 12, 2023.
