A FORMER employee of the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) convicted of obtaining a financial advantage and falsification of documents has been sentenced to one year and 11 months.
Roneel Chand was found guilty by Magistrate Amelia Korodrau. In 2019, Chand intentionally and dishonestly intercepted and converted to his personal use a grant cheque valued at $1300 that was intended for a farmer.
He was employed as a section team leader with FSC and was directly involved in the application, processing, and assessment of sugar cane farmer grant applications.
The court also found that he falsified work orders to facilitate fraudulent grant payments for non-existent farm work.
Delivering the sentence on July 6, Magistrate Korodrau said the evidence established that Chand used his knowledge of FSC procedures and his years of experience to manipulate the system, deceive sugarcane farmers, and obtain a financial benefit.
He said the offending not only impacted FSC but also directly affected sugar cane farmers, who were particularly vulnerable and relied heavily on grant assistance.
Given the seriousness of the offence, the court found there was no justification for a suspended sentence.
Prosecutor Joshua Francis Prasad appeared on behalf of FICAC, while Chand was represented by William Lomaloma from Legal Aid.
