The 2015 Auditor General’s report states that there was misappropriation of revenue of $129,602.22 that was recorded with the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources.
Permanent Secretary Malakai Finau says there was an internal investigation conducted in the first week of October 2015 to authenticate the loss and an officer was suspended.
Finau says a Ministerial investigation team was appointed to further investigate and collate relevant information pertaining to the loss.
He says an initial loss notification was lodged with the Fiji Police Force.
The Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources Manager Finance Timoci Samisoni says this misappropriation was done by one of the revenue collectors.
When questioned by the Chairman of the Committee Ashneel Sudhakar on what was the officer’s supervisor doing when this happened, Samisoni says there was no supervisor at that time.
Sudhakar says this is worrying as it also happened in 2014.
