A former employee of the Water Authority of Fiji, Laisiasa Valesu, charged with abuse of office, forgery, obtaining a financial advantage and aiding and abetting obtaining a financial advantage will take his plea on March 26.

Alongside Valesu, Pauliasi Waite Simione was also charged with one count of aiding and abetting obtaining a financial advantage.
In court yesterday, Fiji Independent ent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) lawyer Laite Bokoni said the information and disclosures were filed and served.

Legal Aid lawyer Krisheel Chang told the court that he needed some time to go through the information and disclosure so that he could advise his clients on their plea.

The charges: For the abuse of office charge. It is alleged that Valesu, between June 1, 2013 and May 31, 2016, in Suva, while employed in the public service as a land acquisition officer with WAF, in abuse of the authority of his office, did arbitrary acts for the purpose of gain namely facilitating the process of false payments to the amount of $334,496.18.

This was for claims for Crop and Land Compensation for the Muanikau 5G Project and Nabukalou Project.
These were acts prejudicial to the rights of the WAF.

For the count of forgery, it is alleged that Valesu, between June 1, 2013 and May 31, 2016, in Suva, made false documents.

These were crop compensation forms and easement agreements, in order to dishonestly induce public officials employed in WAF, to accept them as genuine claims for crop and land compensation under the Muanikau 5G project and Nabukalou projects.

This was in order to dishonestly obtain gains from WAF for himself. For the count of obtaining a financial advantage.
It is alleged that Valesu, between

June 1, 2013 and May 31, 2016, in Suva, engaged in a conduct namely falsified crop compensation forms and easement agreements pur- ported to have been signed by land and crop owners under the Suva Regional Sewerage Scheme.

And as a result of that conduct, he obtained a financial advantage amounting to $334,496.18 from WAF knowing that he was not eligible to receive the said financial advantage.

Simione, between the same time- frame, is alleged to have aided and abetted Valesu to commit the of- fence in obtaining financial advantage in the amount of $26,402.38.

Edited by Epineri Vula

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