Former Vinod Patel employee sentenced to 7 years

A former employee of Vinod Patel and Company charged with money laundering and corrupt practices was today sentenced to seven years imprisonment by Judge, Justice Salesi Temo.

Monika Arora had cashed 36 Vinod Patel Company cheques and took out a total of $472,466.47 cash from the ANZ Bank Centrepoint from 6th January 2006 to 11th May 2007.

It was later found that the cheques were forged, and the invoices and payment vouchers on which the cheques were raised, were falsified.

Arora also offered $10,000 to the accountant of the company to stop all investigations.

While sentencing Arora, Judge Temo said that money laundering in Fiji should be a sentence between 8 to 12 years imprisonment however he took into account Arora's mitigating factors that this is her first offence, she is married with a daughter, has repaid $41,272.38, of the total amount taken and that she was remanded in custody for 65 days.

However Judge Temo stressed that her offence is a serious breach of trust between an employer and employee and that she showed no remorse in this case as she has not revealed where she hid the money or how she has used it.

Arora will have to spend six years in prison after which she will be able to apply for parole.

Story by: Sneh Chaudhry