Court adjourns sentencing

A30-year-old man charged with a serious computer offence and theft has had his sentencing adjourned to January 23.

Ratu Peni Voka Semira appeared before Magistrate Waleen George in the Suva Magistrate Court yesterday and was further remanded.

Magistrate George adjourned the case because additional submissions for sentencing were yet to be received for the serious computer offence charge.

The court heard that Semira between November 18, 2013 and October 18, 2014 in Suva, he dishonestly appropriated cash amounting to $87,204.30 the property of Westpac Banking Corporation with the intention of permanently depriving the bank of its property. The court heard that in October, 2014 an internal investigation was conducted on the accused, who was at the time based at the Westpac Bank branch in Ba. Semira was alleged to have been involved in the unauthorised withdrawal of customer’s funds. The court further heard that the investigations revealed that the accused between October 18, 2013 and October 18, 2014 had conducted unauthorised withdrawals of fund on 67 customers whereby he managed to obtain a total of $87,204.30 in cash.

On November 9 last year, the court heard Ratu Peni admitted to the summary of facts and pleaded guilty to the charges. Magistrate George adjourned the matter and ordered that Ratu Peni be remanded. Edited by Mohammed Zulfikar