One of four former employees of the Nasinu Town Council implicated in a fraud case exceeding $370,000 has agreed to become a State witness. Pauliasi Bainivalu appeared before Justice Usaia Ratuvili in the High Court in Suva yesterday. His co-defendants—Eliki Bula, Shiu Raman, and Razia Bibi—were absent from the proceedings as they were not notified of the scheduled court date.
Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption prosecutor Josanne Pene reported to the court that the amended information had been filed and served to the involved parties. Bainivalu’s attorney requested one month to review this amended information.
Bainivalu and Bula, both former IT officers for the council, face allegations for crimes said to have occurred between 2014 and 2019. Bainivalu is accused of soliciting bribes totaling $116,177 and accepting $57,427.40 from various companies during this period. Bula is charged with soliciting $1,000 from an employee of Innovation Technology Pte, a service provider for the council, in 2014.
Alongside them, Innovation Technology employees Shiu Raman and Razia Bibi are also facing charges. Raman is accused of conspiracy to defraud, obtaining a gain, bribery, general dishonesty, and destruction of evidence. Bibi, a company director, faces charges of aiding and abetting bribery, allegedly facilitating her employee’s attempted bribery of Bainivalu with an offer of $2,066.
The four defendants are scheduled to return to court on October 7.