Engineering firm faces fraud charge

An engineering company has been charged with alleged fraud by the Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption (FICAC).

Civil and Environmental Engineering Solutions Limited (CEESOL) has been charged with one count of corrupt transactions with agents.

It is alleged that between June 1, 2018, and June 30, 2018, at Suva, while being an agent of the Fiji National University, the company without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, solicited advantages to the total amount of $69,973.55 from Kartika Construction and Plumbing Services Limited, on account of its having forborne to do any acts in relation to the affairs and business of the Fiji National University.

It is alleged that CEESOL was an agent of the Fiji National University by virtue of its having been engaged by the FNU to carry out engineering-related work on two projects.

CEESOL was overseeing the work of the other private company on an FNU project and was responsible for certifying the payments to be made by FNU to the other private company during the time of the alleged solicitation. CEESOL allegedly solicited the said advantages from the other private company in order to finance its (CEESOL) work on a separate project that it had been contracted to carry out for the FNU.

The matter was called before Suva Magistrate Deepika Prakash on Thursday.

On behalf of CEESOL, its project manager Monik Lal Charan appeared in court.

FICAC counsel told the court that the director of the company was in Melbourne, Australia, and was not locally based.

Magistrate Prakash told Mr Charan that he needed to get a formal authorisation from the company (CEESOL) for him to represent the company in court.

The matter was adjourned to August 22 for mention.