A 39-year-old former senior loans officer who embezzled from employer, Five Star Finance in 2015 was sentenced to three-years three-months imprisonment on May 31, at the Supreme Court.

The prisoner, Finau Heuifanga Vea was sentenced by Hon Mr Justice Cato, who suspended the final nine months of her sentence on condition that she does not commit any offence during suspension.

On April 26, after trial she was convicted of embezzling around $79,750 pa'anga.

The judge said she had repaid back $10,000 pa'anga and sentenced her only on $69,750.

“This offence was perpetrated because it was committed over 34 occasions and involved some matter of sophistication. It may have involved other persons who were not brought before the Court. In my view, she must be the architect,” he said.

Vea was employed for 20 years with the company.

“Sadly she decided after a long period to engage in fraud. There have been too many cases of this kind that I have presided on. The law view that theft of a servant is a serious offence otherwise the commercial world that we depend on could not function,” he said.

The judge's verdict last month had said that Vea was involved “in a clear pattern of deceit” by diverting loan funds into third party accounts from, April to October 2015, at Havelu.

She dishonestly converted to her own use the money she received on behalf of her employer.

Her sentence was backdated to when she was first remanded in custody last month after being found guilty.