News

Former Manager of Rural Housing Unit jailed for two years

August 10, 2018 4:57 am

The former Manager of the Rural Housing Unit of the Ministry of Provincial Development who caused a loss of $184,000 has been sentenced to two years imprisonment by the Suva High court.

63-year-old Jovilisi Dau was found guilty of one count of abuse of office.
He committed the offence in August 2011.

The court heard that Dau directed staff under his supervision to sign a delivery docket to accept a supply of building materials from Central City Hardware Limited when only building materials to the value of $46,081 were supplied by the hardware company.

High Court Judge Justice Salesi Temo said as a result of the arbitrary acts, the Ministry lost $137,000 of taxpayers’ money and 20 families who were to be assisted following Tropical Cyclone Thomas in the Northern division missed out.

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Justice Temo said Dau was an experienced Manager of the Rural Housing Unit and very well knew what was going on in the Ministry at the time.
Dau had worked at the Ministry since 1989.

The High court Judge refused to fix a parole period.