Former Deputy General Manager for the Fiji National Provident Fund Foana Nemani has been found guilty of extortion by public officer and abuse of office by the High Court Judge Justice Janaka Bandara in the last hour.
Justice Bandara concurred with the three assessors after they all found Nemani guilty.
Justice Bandara said he will deliver the sentencing this Friday.
FICAC lawyer Rashmi Aslam told the judge that they will give their sentencing submission on Thursday.
Aslam told the judge that they will have to look into Nemani’s bail conditions as her husband Maretino Nemani was her surety and he is overseas with her.
During the closing of the case by Aslam, he told the three assessors that on Nemani's first charge of one count of extortion by public officer, all evidence presented in the one week trial had proved that Nemani was a public officer, Nemani accepted rewards given to her in her performance as Deputy General Manager and she received payments beyond her proper pay emolument where she received responsibility allowance of more than $26,000.
He said that Nemani had a basic salary of $120,000 per annum apart from her other benefits which included an entertainment allowance of $2000 per annum, housing allowance of $20,000 per annum, access to social and professional clubs, entitlement to domestic travel, trading and development study leave, as well as housing, car, personal loans and medical insurance among other things.
Fijivillage understands that extradition papers for Foana Nemani are expected to be filed after the case is completed to bring her back from NZ.
Story by: Sofaia Koroitanoa