Former LTA officer sentenced to 1 year, 8 months for issuing fraudulent driver licenses

A former Land Transport Authority officer has been sentenced to one year and eight months imprisonment by the Ba Magistrates Court for issuing fraudulent driver licenses and illegally obtaining $1,600.

Aisea Tabakau Maiteci was charged by FICAC with seven counts of corruption-related offences, which he admitted to on the 3rd of September, last year.

The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) says the offences took place between the first of January, 2019 and the 31st of December 2019 during which he used his IT expertise to issue fake licenses for financial gain.

FICAC further says Resident Magistrate Salote Nasedra condemned Tabakau’s betrayal of public trust, noting that his offer to repay $1,600 appeared insincere and aimed at avoiding imprisonment.

They say the court imposed a partially suspended sentence, with one year to be served in prison and the remaining eight months suspended for five years.

Tabakau has 28 days to appeal the sentence.