Prosecution witness Afroza Khan told the Suva High Court yesterday the internal investigation team found that the first accused Sakiusa Vakarewa was viewing and altering tax-payers accounts.

Ms Khan said she was in charge of the investigation Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority team in 2011 looking into 27 tax return forms having the same P O Box number.

Ms Khan was testifying against second defendant taxi-driver Mukeshwar Singh who has denied charges of money laundering between May 1, 2005 and November 30, 2009 engaged directly or indirectly in transactions involving $117,011 belonging to FRCA.

She said the former FRCA employee Vakarewa had nothing to do with the tax return department but was viewing and altering information to the tax-payers accounts and was responsible for changing details of Savita Singh’s postal address twice leaving the end result as P O Box 1671.

Ms Singh who is also involved in the same case pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years imprisonment. Vakarewa also pleaded guilty to the charges and is awaiting sentencing.

Evidence

In her investigations, Ms Khan said she found out that most cheques were either cashed or witnessed by Singh.

The date of birth given on the income tax forms and VAT forms did not exist when it was cross checked with the Registrar Generals office, she testified.

But since Singh used his driver’s license to get the cheques Mrs Khan cross checked with LTA to find out his details in order to get the correct date of birth and address as all these details were different on each forms, she told the court.

Mrs Khan also told the court that if an outsider was involved she had to check if any staff was involved in the matter as well.

While the state lawyer asked the witness about the FRCA system, Ms Khan said that system was tampered with and was manipulated.

Defense lawyer Jiten Reddy objected and told the court that the documents presented in court were photo copies and not originals and since the witness has said that the said documents had been tampered with how could it be reliable.

Later after discussions with the judge Justice Achala Wengapulli, prosecution and after taking instructions from his client; Mr Reddy told the court that he would cross examine the witness regarding all these documents that have been presented.

The cross examination for the second witness has been adjourned for today.

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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