Former Assistant Provincial Treasurer at Kadavu Provincial Council, Suliasi Lau, has been charged by FICAC with seven counts of Obtaining a Financial Advantage and four counts of Falsification of Documents.
He allegedly failed to deposit cash payments collected as provincial levies, misappropriated allowances, and forged signatures on payment vouchers totalling $4,580 and $1,200.
Lau was granted a non-cash bail of $1,000 and ordered not to re-offend or interfere with prosecution witnesses when he appeared before a magistrates court in Suva. A Stop Departure Order has been issued against him, and the case is adjourned to May 20 in Kadavu for mention.
On the count of Obtaining A Financial Advantage, it is alleged that between 1 June 2019 and 31 July 2019, Lau in the Central Division, whilst being employed as the Assistant Provincial Treasurer at the Kadavu Provincial Council, received cash payments which were collected and/or received as provincial levies from four (4) villages in Kadavu and failed to deposit the same into the Kadavu Provincial Council account and as a result of the conduct, obtained a financial advantage of $4,580 for himself knowing he was not eligible to receive that financial advantage.
Furthermore, it is also alleged that between 1 May 2019 and 31 May 2019, Lau misappropriated the allowance of three Turaga ni Koros and as a result of that conduct obtained a financial advantage of $1,200 for himself knowing that he was not eligible to receive the financial advantage. Regarding the count of Falsification of Documents, it is alleged that between 1 May 2019 and 31 May 2019, Lau dishonestly falsified the payment vouchers of the Kadavu Provincial Council by forging the signatures of the Turaga ni Koros to obtain the sum of $1,200.
