Labasa court

Two former employees of the iTaukei Land Trust Board appeared in the Labasa Magistrates Court yesterday, alongside two other individuals for corruption-related charges.

Former TLTB Manager North, Josaia Waqairatu and former Senior Estate Officer, Nemani Tamani have been charged by the Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption with one count each of abuse of office.

It is alleged that in September 2016, Waqairatu processed and approved the application to lease for a land file without following the relevant policies and procedures that applied to the processing and approval of such applications.

It is alleged that between 1st January 2018 and 31st December 2019, Tamani cancelled the application to lease for the said file without following the relevant policies and procedures.

Two other individuals have also been charged by FICAC in relation to alleged land scam.

Mocevou Rakabikabi is charged with 12 counts of obtaining a financial advantage while Varun Anand is facing three counts of obtaining a financial advantage.

It is alleged that between 1st June 2018 and 2nd August 2019 Rakabikabi purported to sell a piece of land which he did not own in Salusalu Street, Namara in Labasa to various individuals and obtained a financial advantage of $60,000.

On the other hand Chand is also alleged to have purported to sell a piece of land at the same location to two individuals and obtained a financial advantage of $28,000.

All the accused were granted bail in the sum of $1000 each with strict bail conditions.

The matter had been adjourned to 2nd October.