Wipe-out corruption before it's too late, warns judge in jailing embezzler [1]
Monday, September 9, 2013 - 19:00. Updated on Tuesday, September 10, 2013 - 09:04.
A Supreme Court judge in Tonga, in jailing a tearful embezzler on September 6 said the crime had become commonplace in Tonga. “Embezzlement has to stop,” said Mr Justice Charles Cato, who warned stakeholders to address the problem before it was too late and companies would not operate in Tonga.
Fakava who was employed as a travel consultant at the Forum Travel Ltd. in Nuku'alofa had pleaded guillty to one count of embezzlement when he fraudulently converted $88,051 from September 2009 to March 2010.
The final year's suspension was made after the judge considered mitigating factors that included the accused acknowledging responsibility although he made a late guilty plea. “He was candid and honest with his answers to questions in court ... without an admission there would be no rehabilitation,” he said.
The judge queried Fakava as to why a person who was a senior travel consultant for many years would throw away a good job and engage in six-months of fraud. Fakava responded that it was because his co-accused engaged him to cover up for her when she went to China on a work and educational trip.
Fakava admitted the embezzlement and agreed with the judge that he was involved in the action that led to him to pocketing certain amount of the money but not all.
“I am very repentent and very concerned for my life coming up, I know for sure I have a bad record ... I hate what I have done, I hate the people I worked with who did the same things and I look forward to changing my life,” said Fakava in tears.
Embezzlement
Justice Cato said the court regarded embezzlement as being worse than theft because it was a breach of trust. “The problem is if businesses or owners, whether local or overseas companies, do not trust their employees they are not able to operate and will give up on Tonga and young people would not be employed or any other people,” he said.
“It is the responsibility of parents, schools and churches to work towards educating the younger generation before it is too late, and I am left to pick up the pieces and send them to jail for crimes they should never have committed ... corruption at any level or shape in Tonga needs to be wiped out.”
He said the problem with embezzlement was that it is so common. “Embezzlement has to stop in Tonga and next to housebreaking it is the most prevalent out of the lot. Young women who have been employed have been sentenced for it, among others, which causes a lot of concern,” said the judge.
Meanwhile, co-accused Tafolosa Bloomfield remains in custody to be sentenced on October 22, 2013 after a jury found her guilty of embezzling over $204,000.
A former Miss Heilala, Bloomfield a travel consultant at the same company had maintained her not guilty plea during weeks of trial, until the jury convicted her on the offence.
Forum Travel Ltd. was the travel agent for Air New Zealand in Tonga.