You deceived, cheated your employers: Temo
In sentencing two women charged with money laundering, Justice Salesi Temo, told them that they deceived and cheated their employers.
Justice Temo sentenced Rosheen Raj to 11 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of 10 years and Rine Sorby to 10 years imprisonment with a non-parole period of nine years.
Raj and Sorby were convicted for two counts of money laundering each. Between June 1, 2006 and February 16, 2011 in Suva, Raj directly or indirectly engaged in transaction of Pacific Theological College as finance officers for PTC responsible to preparing documents in relations to payment and wages, paid herself in excess of her normal salary, a sum of $96,576.86. Between June 1, 2006 and February 16, 2011 in Suva, Sorby directly or indirectly engaged in transaction of Pacific Theological College as finance officers for PTC responsible to preparing documents in relations to payment and wages, paid herself in excess of her normal salary, a sum of $73,099.95.
Between March 1, 2010 and November 30, 2012 in Suva, Raj and Sorby directly or indirectly engaged in transaction of Pacific Theological College as finance officers for PTC altered the cheques payable for various corporate bodies and cashed the cheques, obtained the total sum of $412, 567.61.
The total sum was $582,244.42. Justice Temo said: “You will have to pay for your deceived act and crime and must not complain.
“You two were the financial brains of the College and as a result, those who supervised you had put in a great trust within you which was a serious breach of trust on your part. “The term of sentence is imposed to punish each of you and protect charitable entities such as the College.
“This shall be a lesson for all financial heads and financial employees of organisations,” Justice Temo said.
Raj and Sorby were given 30 days to appeal against their sentences to the Court of Appeal.