Praneeta Prakash 
The Suva Magistrates Court has ruled that Afrana Nisha, a former secretary at the Independent Legal Services Commission has a case to answer for corruption-related offences involving more than $27,000.
Nisha faces seven counts of falsification of documents and three counts of obtaining a financial advantage.
It is alleged that between July 2012 and November 2014, she falsified cheques by forging the signatures of former Solicitor General, Sharvada Sharma and lawyer Ana Tuiketei, listing herself and lawyer Paul Madigan as payees to obtain financial gain.
In one instance, she allegedly falsified a cheque for $2,537.44 and directed another person, Vandana Raj, to cash it before taking the proceeds.
Resident Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne noted that Sharma, Tuiketei, and Madigan all testified for the prosecution, denying any involvement or benefit from the cheques.
Bank records also confirmed that the funds were withdrawn from the ILSC account.
Raj testified that she cashed the cheques only at Nisha’s instruction and returned all proceeds to her.
Magistrate Somaratne ruled that credible evidence exists on all 10 counts and dismissed the defence’s no-case-to-answer application.
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