Judge told of Agriculture Scam

High Court Judge Justice Gerrad Winter was this morning told of how former Principal Accounts Officer at the Ministry of Agriculture Suliasi Sorovakatini abused thousands of tax dollars for personal gain.

As Sorovakatini's sentencing hearing commenced, DPP Lawyer Ady Driu highlighted that Sorovakatini was directly responsible for the finances of the Ministry and deliberately breached procedures to approve and sign 51 cheques for payments to Rapina Wholesalers who were illegal awarded tenders to supply farming implements as part of an illegal Farming Assistance Scheme.

She revealed that a total of $113,000 was received by Sorovakatini from the owner of Rapina Wholesalers as a payment for awarding tenders to the company between June 2000 and October 2001.

Driu stressed that the Senior Civil servant did not try and stop the illegal practices which were occuring in relation to the farming assistance scheme.

However, Defence Counsel Mehboob Raza told the court that his client is just another sacrificial lamb in the agriculture ministry scam from which former ministers, politicians and re-known figures in the society gained personally. He said Sorovakatini was ordained as a Pastor in 2002 and has shown genuine remorse for his acts in the past as he is a changed man having found God.

Sorovakatini who pleaded guilty to abuse of office and official corruption will be sentenced at 9am tomorrow. It was highlighted that the maximum sentence for abuse of office is 3 years while the maximum penalty for official corruption is 7 years imprisonment.