Peni Mau says he did nothing wrong receiving $210k from Post Fiji

Former Managing Director of Post Fiji Limited Peni Mau said when he resigned in 2007 he asked for compensation for balance of his contract of two years and four months and any other consideration the board might like to give for over thirty years of his service.

While giving his sworn evidence in the Post Fiji trial, Peni Mau agreed that he was not entitled to the gratuity payment of $24,000 in his final payment and he never asked for it.

Mau is charged with extortion by public officers.

It is alleged that between 26th and 27th of February 2007 Mau while being employed in the public service as Managing Director of Post Fiji accepted a promise of a reward namely gratuity payment for his early exit from employment with Post Fiji Limited which was beyond his proper pay and emoluments.

Mau said in 2006 he verbally gave a notice to Post Fiji Chairman Mahendra Patel and he accepted an offer letter from Patel to extend his contract from 2006 to 2009.

Mau added he understood that the Post Fiji board knew about it.

He said he was told to vacate the board meeting when the extension of his contract was discussed in 2006.

FICAC lawyer, Rashmi Aslam pointed out that this was not mentioned in the minutes of that board meeting and the following meeting.

Mau replied that not everything discussed in the meeting was captured in the minutes as it was recorded manually.

Upon questioning by Mau’s lawyer Barbara Malimali, Mau said that in February 2007 he received a call from Mahendra Patel advising him that he should consider leaving the company as many boards were sacked after the events of December 2006.

Mau also said that upon the Chairman’s advice he handed over everything to Dhirendra Pratap and left the company.

He added that on 8th March 2007 he attended a lunch with other Post Fiji board members at Tiko’s Restaurant where Patel thanked him for his service and said that Mau can have the company vehicle at book value.

He also told Mau to collect his cheque after lunch.

Mau said after lunch he accompanied Dhirendra Pratap to his office to collect the cheque of $210,666.67.

Mau said that he believed he was entitled to compensation as he did not complete his contract.

He added that it is his own interpretation of his contract.

Mau is charged with former Chairman of Post Fiji Limited Mahendra Patel and the former General Manager Finance, Direndra Pratap.

The trial is underway without the presence of Patel who is in Australia.

Patel is charged with abuse of office.

Yesterday, the High Court ruled that there is a case to answer after Hamendra Nagin and Barbara Malimali filed their submissions of no case to answer on insufficient evidence.

Malimali had also filed for her client, Peni Mau to be acquitted.