Forges Plead Not Guilty

A Singapore national and two locals pleaded not guilty to three counts of possession of forged documents, uttering false documents and demanding property on false documents in the magistrate’s court this morning.

The charges were read out to Pohching Sheu, Rajinesh Singh and Atunaisa Veitata where it was alleged that between January 9th and January 23rd they produced a forged Westpac Bank draft of 50 million Euros and tried to deposit the money at the ANZ bank in Suva.

It is alleged that they were trying to deposit the money under the company Full Creation International Limited.

Representing the three accused, lawyer Apaitia Seru told the court that his clients are in fact the victims in the matter, as the bank draft was given to them by a financier, who they only know as David and who has now left the country.

He said when the ANZ Bank's legal section informed the accused that the draft was a counterfeit and that the matter had been reported to Police, they gave their full cooperation in police investigations.

Seru then applied for bail saying that accused one's passport has already been surrendered while the other two accused are not flight risks. He also claimed that the three were first offenders and would not break any bail conditions however DPP lawyer Peter Bulamainaivalu strongly objected to bail, he highlighted that they have strong evidence against the accused and that a very substantial amount of money is involved.

Bulamainaivalu also appealed that Sheu's visa expired last Friday and that the second accused was in fact convicted on a charge of obtaining money by false pretense last year and was handed an 18 month sentence suspended for three years. After Magistrate Amani Rokotuinaviti questioned the involvement of Veitata in the alleged crime, Bulamainaivalu revealed that he was roped in and charged as it is alleged that he knew that the bank draft was counterfeit and accompanied the other two to try and bank it.

The case has been adjourned to 2.15pm to make a decision on bail.

The three are remanded in custody.