Viliame Katia sentenced to 23 years imprisonment

Former Acting Deputy Official Receiver Viliame Katia has been sentenced to 23 years imprisonment for corruption related offences.

High Court Judge Justice Salesi Temo delivered the sentence this morning and also placed a non parole period of 22 years.

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

FICAC had said the sentence was 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.

Justice Temo says Katia engineered 1,415 fraudulent transactions within the Official Receiver’s Office to steal over $4 million.

Justice Temo said the level of deceit and evil Katia perpetuated among his co-workers and supervisors to steal the money was the height of all evil.

He says Katia smiled at his co-workers and supervisors and stole over $4 million.

Justice Temo says Katia made a mockery of not only the Official Receiver’s Office but also the High Court by pretending to be a Judge issuing court orders.

The Judge further stated that Katia has not explained where the money is or how it was used.

Justice Temo said that it appears Katia is willing to serve a short prison sentence and enjoy the fruits of his crime after coming out of jail.

He says Katia needs to be punished in a manner that is just in all the circumstances.