One of the four former employees of the Nasinu Town Council accused of defrauding the council of over $370,000 has agreed to become a State witness. Pauliasi Bainivalu appeared in the High Court in Suva before Justice Usaia Ratuvili. His co-defendants, Eliki Bula, Shiu Raman, and Razia Bibi, were absent as they were unaware of the scheduled court proceedings.
Josanne Pene, a prosecutor from the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption, informed the court that an amended information document had been filed and served to the relevant parties. Bainivalu’s lawyer requested a month to review this amended information.
Both Bainivalu and Bula, who were IT officers at the council, are facing charges related to alleged misconduct between 2014 and 2019. Bainivalu is accused of soliciting $116,177 and accepting $57,427.40 in bribes from multiple companies during that time frame. Bula is alleged to have solicited $1,000 from an employee of Innovation Technology Pte, a council service provider, in 2014.
Additionally, employees from Innovation Technology, Shiu Raman and Razia Bibi, are also facing charges. Raman is charged with conspiracy to defraud, receiving a gain, bribery, general dishonesty, and destruction of evidence, while Bibi, a company director, is accused of aiding and abetting bribery by allegedly offering $2,066 to Bainivalu to facilitate the bribery.
The four individuals are scheduled to return to court on October 7.