The former CEO of Post Fiji Pte Limited, Anirudha Bansod, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for abuse of office. The sentencing took place yesterday at the Suva Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Magistrate Yogesh Prasad.
Bansod was found guilty of submitting a misleading confidentiality and conflict of interest declaration during the tender process for the development of the Post Fiji Mobile Application. The contract was awarded to TechnoBase IT Solutions PVT Limited, an Indian company with which he had personal ties.
The court revealed that Bansod had communicated with Vaibhav Deshpande from TechnoBase IT Solutions through WhatsApp, sharing confidential information that contributed to the company winning the contract for e-Wallet services.
Although Bansod expressed remorse and was a first-time offender, his admission of guilt came late in the prosecution’s case. Magistrate Prasad emphasized that Bansod’s actions compromised the integrity of government institutions and thus chose not to suspend the sentence.
Bansod now has 28 days to file an appeal against the decision in the High Court in Suva.