The cases of two former employ­ees of the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) charged by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) have been trans­ferred to the High Court.

Laisiasa Valesu is charged with one count each of abuse of office, forgery and obtaining a financial advantage alongside his accomplice.

Pauliasi Qalte Simione is charged with one count of aiding and abetting and obtaining a financial advantage.

They appeared before Resident Mag­istrate Asanga Bodaragama yesterday at the Magistrates Court in Suva.

Charges:

It is alleged that accused Valesu facil­itated the processing of false payments as claims for Crop and Land Compen­sation for the Muanikau 5G Project and Nabukalou Project using forged Crop Compensation forms and Ease­ment Agreements.

The forged documents were used to induce WAF public officials who ac­cepted it as genuine and enabled the Accused to obtain $334,496.18 between June 2013 and May 2016.

The second Accused is alleged to have helped the first Accused and acquired $26,402.38 in the process.

In delivering his ruling, Resident Magistrate Bodaragama said the na­ture of offences committed have seri­ous effects on the general public and that the High Court would be better suited to hear the case.

The matter was adjourned to March 8, 2019.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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