Suspended sentences for six

Six former employees of MHCC Carpenters Fiji Limited were given suspended sentences in the Suva Magistrates Court yesterday. The accused men, Richard Prasad, 31, Rupeni Boni, 33, Atunaisa Natura, 29, Rusiate Vucukula, 32, Apolosi Sokia, 20, and Jone Gukilalau, 25, were charged with one count of theft.

They pleaded guilty and were convicted as charged on March 13, 2018.

The summary of facts revealed that between November 2016 and February 2017 the six men were employed as sales assistants, security guards and delivery driver. On February 21, 2017 two other employees of MHCC Home Maker conducted a stock count and found that 80 flat screen televisions were missing from the store and unaccounted for.

Upon investigations, Police took Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage of the store and found Natura and Sokia carrying TV sets out of the store under the instructions of the first accused; Prasad. Natura and Sokia were arrested and upon further investigations the other four accused men were arrested.

It was revealed that all six men admitted using previous genuine sales receipts to remove television sets from the store and thereafter sold it to customers at a cheaper price.

While sentencing the men, Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama said the men were employed at MHCC and were entrusted with the safe custody of products on display and in the store of their employment. “By committing this offence, you had breached the trust placed upon you by your employer. I find this is an aggravating factor,” Magistrate Bodaragama said.

In mitigation, the men promised not to reoffend, were remorseful, co-operated with Police and the stolen items were recovered. Magistrate Bodaragama said they committed the offence with preplanning and violated the trust and confidence of their employer and his customers.

He said the offence should attract a punishment to signify the disproval and denouncement of the court and community towards the commission of such offences. However, he noted that they were young offenders with ample time and opportunity for rehabilitation. The men were sentenced to 18 months in prison suspended for two years.