Mele Tatafu Heitonga (32) a former accounts clerk of 'Uta'atu & Associates in Nuku'alofa, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to ten counts of forgery and theft of over $130,000, at the Nuku‘lofa Supreme Court on May 10.

The convicted woman who comes from Niuatoputapu, appeared before Justice Charles Cato on May 10, and was sentenced on the 10 counts, that included theft, forgery and knowingly dealing with forged documents.

Justice Cato sentenced her to an initial two years and six months imprisonment, with a two years suspension of the final year. This meant that the offender would serve an immediate 18 months imprisonment at Hu'atolitoli Prison and back dated to May 7, when she was remanded in police custody.

Forgery

The court was told that she was tasked with the administration of the company's accounts held at the ANZ Bank. She repeatedly committed the offences from 2009-11, that included forging the signature of the owner, Christine 'Uta'atu, on company cheques and withdrawing money from the bank.

Justice Cato said this was a very serious offence as Heitonga was in a position of trust and seniority in the company.

"You breached the trust of your employer and continued to carry out the offences knowing full well it was wrong," he said.

The offender had initially pleaded guilty to the charges in October, 2011 before Justice Robert Shuster.

The court was told that she had paid back only $10,000.