LOSALINI RASOQOSOQO
Suva
A 32-year-old man charged with eight counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception was sentenced to eight months imprisonment at the Suva Magistrates Court yesterday
Koto Tikotani, a former employee of Lotus Garments, took $750 from three people promising them graduation gowns.
He failed to honour the deal.
All the complainants are University of the South Pacific law graduates and the offences occurred between October 1, 2013, and November 25, 2013.
He delivered each with receipts after every payment made to him.
In delivering his judgment, Magistrate Chaitanya Lakshman said the accused was fond of deceiving others using this scheme because he had appeared already before him for a similar case.
In mitigation, Tikotani asked forgiveness saying he was married and had four kids to support, the eldest being in Class Four. However, Magistrate Lakshman said he had already given him a chance to reform.
“Now you are conning well-educated people. You are smart. This kind of case is on the rise so I have no other option but to send you to jail,” Magistrate Lakshman said.
“You can’t think of your family now. You are the one who wants to go to prison.”
Tikotani was sentenced to eight months in prison for each count to be served concurrently with the five weeks already been spent in remand.
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