Seluvaia Motuliki (39) who pleaded guilty for fraudulently converting over $31,159, while working as a civil servant, had her sentence reduced on 21 April from two and a half year to one year three months.

Seluvaia was charged with one count of fraudulent conversion by a civil servant, and one count of falsification of accounts while she was working for the Ministry of Commerce, Tourism and Labour. She pleaded guilty to the charges on 5 February.

On 16 April 2015, Seluvaia's legal counsel, Tomasi Fakahua informed the Supreme Court that Seluvaia had repaid $10,000 to the Ministry of Commerce, Tourism and Labour.

Mr Justice Cato suspended the final 15-months of Seluvaia's sentence on the condition that she commit no further crime for two-years.

This means she serves one-year and three-months sentence at Hu’atolitoli Prison.

The crime was discovered in an audit of the Ministry, where the accused was found to have fraudulently converted a total of $31,159.20 pa’anga.