A former accountant for the Fiji Rugby Union and his partner have received bail from the Suva Magistrates Court after being remanded in custody overnight. The court session was presided over by Senior Magistrate Sufia Hamza.
Pawan Deo and Subhashni Mudaliar face charges including conspiracy to defraud, obtaining a gain, and obtaining a financial advantage. The couple is accused of conspiring to unlawfully obtain $53,788.75 from the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) while being the sole proprietors of Sports Supplies Limited, with Deo also serving as FRU’s financial accountant. This alleged misconduct reportedly took place between February 1 and July 31, 2022.
Furthermore, they are accused of fraudulently processing payments to Sports Supplies Limited, resulting in an improper gain of $7,291.83, knowing that the company was not entitled to those funds. This particular incident is alleged to have occurred from February 1 to May 11, 2022.
FICAC prosecutor Mary Takinana did not oppose the granting of bail. Magistrate Hamza imposed specific conditions on the accused, instructing them to refrain from reoffending, surrender their travel documents, and report to the FICAC Headquarters monthly.
The case has been adjourned to November 5 for the next phase of disclosures.