Military officer gets 3 months for bribery

A military officer who was on secondment to the Immigration Department has been sentenced to three months imprisonment for accepting a silver and gold plated watch and cash of $100 from one Yong Pan.

Jone Senibici has been convicted after a trial for two counts of accepting an advantage contrary to the Prevention of Bribery Promulgation of 2012.

Magistrate Hettiwattage Somaratne said although he is mindful of Senibici’s good behaviour and other personal mitigating factors, he thinks public interest demands a deterrent sentence.

Magistrate Somaratne highlighted that at the time while the accused was on secondment and working as a bond officer with the Immigration Department in June two years ago, Senibici helped Pan with his application and accepted the watch and the money offered to him, as a gratitude knowing that he had no permission to accept them.

He is given 28 days to appeal the sentence.