THE High Court in Suva has quashed a seven-year jail sentence imposed on a businessman convicted of dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Shalendra Kumar was convicted and sentenced on February 19, 2024.
Kumar was represented by Suva lawyer Mohammed Saneem.
Kumar, the owner of Professional Stationery Services, was one of a number of businesses that supplied stationary products to the Public Works Department (PWD).
Court records show that Kumar and a number of PWD employees colluded to misappropriate monies from PWD in the amount of $34,236.77 — committed between January 1 and May 31, 2010.
Justice Dane Tuiqereqere dismissed the appeal against conviction but sentenced him to two and a half years with a non-parole period of one-year and 10 months.
The sentence is to commence from February 19, 2024.
