Former Post Fiji Chief Executive Dr. Anirudha Bansod has been sentenced to 18 months in prison by Resident-Magistrate Yogesh Prasad. In his ruling, Magistrate Prasad emphasized the case’s significance to the public and the need for deterrence, which led him to decide against suspending the sentence.
The court determined that Dr. Bansod submitted a false declaration regarding confidentiality and conflict of interest, falsely stating he did not have any connections with Technobase IT Solutions PVT Limited. Evidence revealed that he was aware of a key individual at the company and had severely violated the trust placed in him to act in the best interest of Post Fiji Limited.
Magistrate Prasad noted that Dr. Bansod, while serving as CEO of Post Fiji Limited and Chairperson of the tender committee, was inappropriately communicating with Vaibhac Deshpande from Technobase regarding tender matters. He failed to disclose his prior relationship with Deshpande and provided misleading information about his connections with the Indian firm.
Evidence, including WhatsApp communications, indicated that insider information pertaining to the tender processes was improperly shared with Technobase IT Solutions. The magistrate highlighted that Post Fiji’s policies required board members to declare any conflicts of interest before the tender evaluations began, noting that despite receiving the required form, Bansod falsely claimed no association with Technobase.
Dr. Bansod was convicted of abuse of office and general dishonesty, resulting in a significant loss, by the Suva Magistrates Court. The charges stemmed from his provision of a false declaration during the tender process for the Post Fiji Mobile Application in 2022. He has 28 days to file an appeal with the High Court.