A former Foreign Affairs Ministry employee charged with four corruption-related offences has pleaded not guilty in the Suva Magistrates Court today.
Azreen Shabnam Khan was charged by the FICAC with one count each of abuse of office, obtaining a financial advantage, causing a loss and giving false information to public servant in august.
FICAC informed the court that Prosecution would not be relying on the caution interview.
The former Second Secretary to the Fiji High Commission in New Delhi was alleged to have fraudulently caused payments amounting to over Fijian forty thousand dollars from last January to this March from monthly allowances sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
She allegedly certified thirty-five payment vouchers to receive over Fijian twenty six thousand dollars and further caused the certifying of fifteen payment vouchers for various claims amounting to over Fijian fourteen thousand dollars.
Furthermore, she is alleged to have given the former Acting Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs false information regarding the interviews and appointments of Locally Engaged Staff (LES), employed by the Fiji High Commission in New Delhi, which then led the Acting PS to approve the employment of the LES.
The court extended bail for the accused.
The matter was adjourned to 29 November 2018 to fix a hearing date.
