8 people allegedly involved in the $407,000 procurement scam granted bail

2 former Nasinu Town Council employees and 6 executives from 4 companies appeared in the Nasinu Magistrates Court today for allegedly defrauding the council of more than $407,000.

FICAC produced 4 separate cases with corruption-related offences spanning over 5 years of alleged corrupt activity.

Former IT Officer with the council, Pauliasi Bainivalu has been charged with Conspiracy to Defraud – Obtaining a Gain, Bribery, General Dishonesty – Causing a Loss and Destroying of Evidence and is alleged to have caused purchases to be made based on falsified quotations and local purchase orders from various companies.

He is alleged to have solicited $116,177 and is alleged to have accepted $57,427.40 in bribes from 2014 to 2019 resulting in losses to the Council.

Another former IT Officer, Eliki Bula was charged with 1 count of Bribery for allegedly soliciting $1,000 from an employee of Innovation Technology PTE in 2014.

Employee of Innovation Technology PTE, Shiu Raman faces a count of Conspiracy to Defraud – Obtaining a Gain, Bribery, General Dishonesty – Causing a Loss and Destroying of Evidence.

Director of Innovation Technology PTE, Razia Bibi was charged with a count of Aiding and Abetting Bribery for allegedly helping her employee commit the offence of Bribery by offering $2,066.40 to Bainivalu.

In this matter, $370,061.39 is alleged to have been lost due to the actions of the 4 individuals from January 2014 to July 2019.

In the second case, the Director of AK Investment, Diwakar Lal has been charged with Conspiracy to Defraud – Obtaining a Gain, Bribery and Causing a Loss from June to September 2018.

He is alleged to have conspired with Bainivalu and offered an advantage of $2000 to him as an inducement or reward for him performing any act as a public servant.

In the third case, the Director of Printzone Vicky Vikash Kumar is charged with Conspiracy to Defraud – Obtaining a Gain, Bribery and Causing a Loss amounting to $37,029 to the Nasinu Town Council from December 2017 to January 2019.

He is alleged to have offered Bainivalu $7,400 as a bribe while trying to obtain a gain.

In the fourth case, the Manager of Business Equipment Limited Remal Chand and Director Ranjani Chand are charged with 2 counts of Bribery where a total of $2,661 was exchanged between the two women and Bainivalu from September 2017 to May 2019.