Retired senior agri worker handed 30 months jail term

Your actions deprived assistance to people who genuinely needed it and this was committed for a long period of time showing planning from your side. Shageeth Somaratne Magistrate

Aretired government worker has been sentenced to 30 months imprisonment for obtaining $18,250 worth of agricultural assistance.

Filimoni Kilawekana, 67, of Tailevu has been convicted for one count each of abuse of office and false pretences.

He pleaded guilty to the offences and admitted the summary of facts which was that sometime in 2008. While Kilawekana was employed by the Ministry of Agriculture as a senior assistant, he had prepared a project proposal namely, Nasavulevu Dalo Tausala/Casava Project, for the purpose of applying for the Rural and Outer Island assistance (ROI) provided through the Ministry to Fijian farmers.

The said project proposal was dated March 14, 2008.

The ROI was meant to assist farmers who owned 15-20acres of land and provide a third contribution to the ministry.

On the other hand, the ROI came in the form of land preparation where the service of an excavator (digger) was engaged along with the provision of fertilisers.

Within the project proposal, Kilawekana had identified 20 farmers as beneficiaries under the name of Nasavulevu Farmers Group. However, only two beneficiaries were actually cultivating land at Nasavulevu and the remaining 18 were Kilawekana’s next of kin who resided at Cautata Village, Bau, Tailevu.

As a result, the right of the ministry to give assistance to the farmers of Nasavulevu with a potential proposal project was foregone because Kilawekana had used his authority to create a project proposal to benefit himself and his next of kin rather than the actual farmers of Nasavulevu.

Prior to the submission of the project proposal to the ministry, Kilawekana had forged the signature of all the beneficiaries listed as ‘Nasavulevu Group Members’ of the said proposal except for two persons namely, Wale Baleimakogai And Emosi Tuinatewa.

The signatures were forged by Kilawekana in order to have the project properly submitted so that his project would be eligible to receive the assistance from the ministry via the ROI assistance.

As a result of the forged signatures and proposal, Kilawekana received land preparation worth $15,000 and $3,250 worth of fertiliser.

While sentencing the offender, Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne said “While employed as a senior agriculture assistant at The Ministry of Agriculture and by acting in this manner, Kilawekanan breached the trust placed on him by his employer as well as the public.

He said to the offender: “Your actions deprived assistance to people who genuinely needed it and this was committed for a long period of time showing planning from your side.”

Magistrate Somaratne said Kilawekana breached the trust of the general public and used this assistance to directly benefit his family members.

A non-parole period of 20 months has been given to Kilawekana.