Sales embezzler jailed [1]
Thursday, November 13, 2014 - 17:33. Updated on Thursday, November 13, 2014 - 17:35.
A 30-year-old former employee of the Leiola Group of Companies Ltd has been jailed for one-year and three-months for embezzling around $20,000 pa’anga last year.
Katalau Vea’ila of Fasi, who was a former sales and delivery employee, pleaded guilty to two counts of embezzlement and falsification of accounts.
He was sentenced by Mr Justice Cato to two-years and three-months with the final year suspended on November 7, at the Nuku’alofa Supreme Court. This means he will serve one-year and three-months at Hu'atolitoli Prison.
The court heard he had repaid $4,000.
Meanwhile, a female co-accused Lupi Fonua (21) from Fo'ui, who was a former accounts officer ,had also pleaded guilty to falsification of accounts, stealing $20,000.
She was sentenced to 18-months imprisonment, which was fully suspended for two-years on condition that she does not commit any further offences. She is also required to carry out 80-hours of community service.
The Crown said the accused had already paid the amount back to the company.
Discrepencies
On October 2, 2013 the Leiola Group Ltd. discovered there were discrepancies in their distribution sales and requested its commercial customers to verify their balances against their financial records. It was revealed that they did not balance.
The company and its auditors then conducted an internal investigation and discovered that between July to October 2013, revenue that was to be collected from the company’s commercial customers was never deposited into the company’s bank account.
The Crown said the company had suffered a total lost of around $81,401 pa’anga from these discrepancies, which also allegedly involved other co-accused. A third former employee who pleaded not guilty is expected to stand trial in August 2015 for the same offences.