Ex-Bureau Employee In Court On Fraud Charges
A37-year-old former employee of the Fiji Bureau of Statistics yesterday appeared at the Suva Magistrates Court. Kelera Nokelevu appeared before Magistrate Waleen George charged with one count each of obtaining financial advantage and using forged documents by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC).
On the first count, Nokelevu between November 1, 2015, and December 31, 2015, in Suva, allegedly engaged in a conduct namely falsifying imprest receipts from the journal voucher’s No. 725 and 734, for hire of RSL 299 and LT 299 and as a result of that conduct obtained a financial advantage in a sum of $1588 from the Fiji Bureau of Statistics, knowing that she was not eligible to receive that financial advantage.
On the second count, Nokelevu between November 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015, in Suva, allegedly used documents that she knew to be false, namely imprest receipts from the journal voucher’s No. 725 and 734, for the hire of RSL 299 and LT 299 amounting to $1588, with intent to dishonestly induce the Chief Statistician in his capacity as a public official to accept it as genuine, and as a result of that acceptance dishonestly obtained a gain.
FICAC lawyer Jessie Lagonilakeba told the court that disclosures had been served.
The accused is represented by lawyer Paula Gaunde. Nokelevu was granted bail on the personal bond sum of $200. She was ordered by court not to reoffend and change her residential address or interfere with prosecution witnesses. Nokelevu informed the court that she was terminated by her employer in April 2018 after a public service disciplinary tribunal case in December 2017. Magistrate George withdrew herself from the case and said she could not proceed further because she was a member of the public service disciplinary tribunal for Nokelevu’s case. Magistrate George transferred the matter to Chief Magistrate Usaia Ratuvili’s court.
The matter was adjourned for mention to October 25 before Chief Magistrate Ratuvili.