Former Revenue collector sentenced to 20 months

A former Revenue collector with the Lands Department in Labasa, Inosi Tuberi has been sentenced to 20 months imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to a charge of larceny by servant.

The court was earlier told that between 8th and 9th July 2008, Tuberi received cheques from the Sugar Cane Growers Fund for the settlement of a lease issue.

Tuberi, while making the final receipts of money collected to be banked, altered the figures and took over $1200 for his personal use.

Resident Magistrate Ropate Cabelawa in handing down the sentence highlights that Tuberi has five previous convictions of a similar nature and was serving a suspended sentence during the time of the offence.

He said the offence represented a breach of trust towards his employer and that the method he used showed some degree of planning and control of records.

Magistrate Cabelawa sentence him to six months imprisonment and activated the suspended sentence taking the total jail term to 20 months behind bars.