Mele Finau Finefeuiaki Penitani (27) was sentenced to two-years and four-months imprisonment for the theft $66,500 pa’anga from customers at the ANZ Bank.

Hon. Mr Justice Cato during sentencing on July 17 at the Supreme Court, suspended the final 10-months of her sentence on conditions. 

The accused was employed by the bank from 2012 until 2019, when she was dismissed. She was a senior staff member of the Senior Asset Management Unit at the Bank, and her primary role was to follow up on customers' loans payments. 

The Court heard in July 2019, the bank did a random systems check on their internal system and picked up discrepancies in certain customer's bank accounts, where money from their accounts was missing. 

An investigation began and the discrepancies were traced to the accused, who used the bank's internal electronic work log. The internal electronic work log records all work on the banks internal system performed by a bank employee. 

In August 2019, the bank completed its investigation and the accused was confronted by bank staff members, and she admitted in writing her involvement in the offending. 

When interviewed by the Police, the accused further admitted to transferring money from the customer's bank accounts to the bank account of her carpenter and herself. She did this to pay for completing the building of her house in Veitongo. 

She took a total of $66,500 from the bank accounts of three different customers, within a span of four months. And as far the Crown was aware, there was no evidence that any of this money was paid back to the bank.

The Crown submitted aggravating factors were that she took advantage of her position in the bank and betrayed the trust of her employer and bank customers; while manipulating the bank’s system to her own benefit.

The accused, who cooperated with the police, had no previous convictions.