A MAN has been handed a two-year prison sentence after being convicted of conspiring with his former wife to defraud the Department of Heritage and Arts out of $660 using forged vehicle hire receipts.
Court records show Nick Stark, a former employee with the RPA Group, conspired with his former wife, Rosalia Muavesi, who was then an employee of the Department of Heritage and Arts, to obtain a gain from the department dishonestly.
It was further established that Stark aided and abetted Muavesi in obtaining the money and personally received $220 from the proceeds.
Passing sentence on July 15, Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne ordered Stark’s head sentence be partly suspended, directing that he serve three months in immediate custody.
Since Stark had already spent three months in remand, the court considered this period as time served and suspended the remaining 21 months of the sentence for three years.
Mr Somaratne said a Stark has also been ordered to pay a $1000 fine or serve 100 days in jail in default of payment.
