FRCS compliance officer fronts court on bribery, abuse charges
AFiji Revenue and Customs Service compliance officer, charged with abuse of office and allegedly obtaining a bribe of more than $12,000, has been warned to keep away from trouble.
Roneel Amit Prasad, 36, is charged with one count of abuse of office and three counts of receiving a bribe.
He appeared before Magistrate Waleen George at the Magistrates Court in Suva yesterday.
For the offence of abuse of office, it is alleged that Prasad on September 9, 2021, being employed as a customs officer at FRCS conducted a search at the residence of Yan He, 50, a businessman of Nokonoko Road in Navua, in abuse of authority of office without any search warrant.
For the charges of receiving a bribe, it is alleged that Prasad between September 9 and September 14, 2021, received a bribe amounting to $12,800.
In court yesterday, Police prosecutor Sitiveni Baleitaveuni told the court that there were full recoveries in the case. However, Prasad’s lawyer Jitend Reddy told the court that the recovery made by the Police consisted of Prasad’s personal money as well which was from the sale of a vehicle and his wife’s wages.
Mr Reddy told the court that the money confiscated by the Police were not proceeds of crime.
Magistrate George granted bail to Prasad in the sum of $2000 non-cash and ordered his sureties to sign a bail bond of $2000 non-cash each.
Prasad was ordered to reside with his father in Nepani, Nasinu, and not to reoffend while on bail, not to interfere with the prosecution’s witnesses, and not to change his address without the leave of the court.
A stop departure order was also issued against Prasad and ordered to not obtain any travel documents.
The matter was adjourned to November 15 for for mention and plea.