Dakuidreketi and Bakani get prison sentences

Former Native Land Trust Board member, Keni Dakuidreketi and former General Manager of NLTB, Kalivati Bakani have been handed custodial sentences by the Suva High Court.

High Court Judge Justice Janaka Bandara sentenced 55-year-old Dakuidreketi to six years imprisonment with a non-parole period of five years while 63-year-old Bakani has been sentenced to four years imprisonment with a non-parole period of three years.

Bakani pleaded guilty to five counts of abuse of office while Dakuidreketi was convicted of five counts of abuse of office for the purpose of gain following a trial.

The court heard that Dakuidreketi between 31st March 2004 and 21st September 2004, while being employed as a member of NLTB and Chairman of Vanua Development Corporation, in abuse of the authority of his office, did an arbitrary act for the purpose of gain, by facilitating a loan of $2 million to be made by Vanua Development Corporation to Pacific Connex, which was prejudicial to the NLTB and indigenous Fijians.

The second count related to Dakuidreketi facilitating a loan of $900,000 to be made by Vanua Development Corporation to Pacific Connex between the 16th and the 29th of November 2004.

The third count said that Dakuidreketi between about 28th February 2005 to 28th April 2005 facilitated a government grant of $1 million disbursed to Vanua Development Corporation through the NLTB to be used as security for a loan to Pacific Connex Limited by Dominion Finance.

For the fourth count Dakuidreketi again between 27th April 2005 to 3rd July 2007 while being employed as a member of NLTB and Chairman of Vanua Development Corporation facilitated a government grant of $1 million disbursed to Vanua Development Corporation through the NLTB to be used as security for overdraft and loan facilities provided to Pacific Connex, by ANZ Bank.

The court also heard that Dakuidreketi between 23rd September 2005 and 29th September 2005 facilitated a loan of $1 million to be made by the Vanua Development Corporation to Pacific Connex.

Vanua Development Corporation was set up as an investment arm of NLTB which included the involvement of Dakuidreketi while Pacific Connex was an IT company set up by Ballu Khan.

Dakuidreketi was a board member of Pacific Connex Limited.

Justice Bandara said that the aggravating feature in this case was that the two held high ranking posts and they were entrusted with public money.

However the two abused the authority.

The High Court Judge added that the loss incurred to Vanua Development Corporation Limited was $5 million.

Justice Bandara also said that in Bakani’s mitigation the court was informed he was married with five children and four grandchildren and that he is facing medical conditions.

The court was also informed that Bakani was unemployed since 2007.

For Dakuidrekti the court heard that he has two children and is the sole bread winner in the family.

The court also heard that Dakuidreketi sold his properties and spent all his savings including superannuation on this case.