Former Court Officer Jailed for Three Years Over Falsified Receipts

Rauni Moceiovalau Bulivakacegu, a former revenue collector at Fiji’s Sigatoka Magistrates Court Registry, has been sentenced to three years in prison for falsifying court receipts and obtaining a financial advantage.

Bulivakacegu pleaded guilty to both charges brought by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption. He worked at the registry from January to August 2018. During that period, he recorded lower amounts on duplicate and triplicate copies of eight receipts than the amounts shown on the originals.

The offences gave him a financial advantage of $3,100. The court said he had abused a position of trust and had been expected to act truthfully, honestly and ethically. It found that the offences were calculated, well planned and committed on eight separate occasions.

The court adopted an aggregate starting point of three years, added two years for aggravating circumstances, then reduced the sentence by one year for mitigation and his previous good character. A further one-year reduction followed his guilty plea, producing the final three-year sentence.

Bulivakacegu must serve two years before becoming eligible for parole. Six months spent on remand counts as time served, leaving one year and six months to serve. He has 28 days to appeal to the High Court.