High Court Judge Justice Salesi Temo refuses bail for Viliame Katia

Suva High Court Judge Justice Salesi Temo has refused bail for Viliame Katia who is the former Acting Deputy Official Receiver.

FICAC had appealed against the sentence of serving prisoner Katia who was sentenced to 14‑years imprisonment in 2017 by the Suva Magistrates Court.

FICAC lawyer Rashmi Aslam had filed three grounds of appeal which are that the magistrate failed to transfer the matter to the High Court, the Magistrate exceeded his jurisdiction and that the sentence is lenient.

Katia had also counter appealed against his sentence saying that it is excessive.

Katia was convicted of three counts of abuse of office for gain, four counts of forgery, one count of embezzlement, one count of giving false information to a public servant, one count of unauthorized modification of data and one count of obtaining financial advantage.

The total amount involved was $4.1 million.

The case has been adjourned to 14th of next month for written reasons to be given.