The Suva High Court has in the last half hour sentenced three former Post Fiji executives to imprisonment on corruption related charges.

Former Managing Director Peni Mau has been given a nine month sentence after he was found guilty of extortion.

The then General Manager Dhirendra Pratap has been found guilty of giving false information to public officers and sentenced to six months imprisonment

Former chairman Mahendra Motibhai Patel who was tried in Absentia has been sentenced to 12-months imprisonment after he was found guilty of Abuse of Office.

The men were charged by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC).

In 2007, the three men conspired to pay Mau over one hundred thousand dollars in salaries upon his resignation as well as twenty four thousand dollars in gratuity.

The Post Fiji was never informed or consulted on the payment and false records were shown to government auditors who scrutinized the company’s finances.

Justice Karunaratnam in his sentence, says the trio breached the trust of the company, with the government being the shareholder.

The Judge has extended the bench warrant for Patel, who is in Australia on medical grounds, and upon his arrival in Fiji, must serve his sentence.

The Maximum penalty for abuse of office and Extortion is three years imprisonment each, and giving false information to public officer carries 12 months, imprisonment.