Sepuloni Mateo (24) received a two year suspended jail sentence after pleading guilty to seven counts of forgery and knowingly dealing with forged documents, in which he got more $8,000 pa'anga by false representing his employer to a customer in 2017.

Hon Mr Justice Niu during sentencing on June 4 at the Supreme Court said, the accused charges included obtaining money by false pretence, when he obtained $8,200 from Raymond Yu by representing that his employer, Pacific Forum Line (PFL) was selling a particular container, when the container did not belong to his employer.

The accused also faced forgery, when he created a false invoice for $8,250 purporting to be issued by Pacific Forum Line in order that Yu would act on it as a genuine invoice.

In addition, to being charged with knowingly dealing with a forged document when he gave the forged invoice to Yu as if it was a genuine invoice from his employer, among other similar counts.

The judge said, the accused had been working for PFL since 2013. He worked well and by 2017 was the Container Controller, a responsible position of trust for which he was being paid $15,000 per year. 

"But by then you were drinking alcohol with your friends and that money was not enough so that is when this man Yu came and inquired to purchase an empty container, you saw a way to cheat him and to sell him a container that was not yours or your employer's so that you would keep the money for yourself, to fund your drinking with your friends, without him or PFL knowing the truth."

The Court heard, the accused had gone to Nishi Trading and arranged with them that PFL would pick up Nishi's container and PFL would deliver to them a refrigerated container in its place.

“The accused then issued to Yu a false invoice as if it was from PFL for Nishi's container for $8,200 and required him to pay you half of that sum and to pay the other half upon delivery of the container to him. 

“Yu paid you the first half ($4,000) and you then had Nishi's container delivered to him. Yu then paid the other half, $4,200 pa’anga and for each payment, the accused issued a false receipt from PFL. 

"PFL did not know of this money. You kept and used it yourself for your drinking with your friends, all of it. When Nishi did not get its refrigerated container, it complained to PFL and that was how you were caught out."

Breach of trust

The judge said Yu had to give back the container to Nishi but the accused could not give back his money because he and friends had drunk it all away.

He promised he would pay him back, but PFL dismissed him from employment and could not pay Yu up to now 


“What is worst for you is that your employer PFL trusted you. It trusted you to try and sell its containers or containers, which it can procure to PFL's customers and to the general public, at a profit for PFLyour employer,” he said.

"Instead of doing that for PFL, you did it for yourself and kept the money for yourself, at the loss of PFL and especially of the customer of PFL, Yu. Now the customers of PFL, and the public, would think twice about doing business with PFL, in case they may be cheated like Yu was. PFL will thereby lose customers and revenue. That is what is so serious about what you have done."

The Crown said the only conviction on Mateo’s record was drunk driving in 2016, which he was fined $620 or two weeks imprisonment. While, pointing out the aggravating factor on this present case was violating the trust, which PPL had placed in him with which I agree, said the judge.

"If your imprisonment sentence is fully suspended, it hangs over you as your assurance that if you commit another offence or breach the conditions of such suspension, you will for sure go into prison and serve your suspended sentence in full. It will also serve to discipline you to pay your indebtedness and to teach you indelibly that you must not do this ever again and thereby make yourself a better young man."

The judge then sentenced him to two-years for obtaining the money by false pretence, and one year for forgery and other sentences on the rest, which are being served concurrently.

He then ordered for the sentences to be fully suspended for two-years on conditions, that includes the accused must pay Yu $100 every Friday, until the total sum is paid.

The first payment is to be made by 6:00pm on Friday, June 7.

The accused had told the judge that he wants to repay the $8,200 to Yu by paying him $400 per month from his present wage per week as load checker at the airport.