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Bansod sentenced to 18 months in prison for abuse of power

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Bansod sentenced to 18 months in prison for abuse of power

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Magistrate Yogesh Prasad sentenced former Fiji Post chief executive officer Dr Anirudha Bansod to 18 months jail.

Delivering his ruling this afternoon, Magistrate Prasad said he had decided not to suspend Dr Bansod’s sentence as the case involved public interest and had a deterrent effect.

The court found that Dr Bansod had provided false declaration of confidentiality and conflict of interest by claiming that he did not know anyone at Technobase IT Solutions PVT Limited.

In fact, Dr Bansode knew a key individual in the bidding company and committed a serious breach of the trust reposed in him to always act in the best interests of Fiji Post Limited.

Magistrate Prasad said he found that Dr Bansode, while taking on an attractive remuneration package as the chief executive officer and chairman of the tender committee of Fiji Post Limited, was engaging in systematic communications with one Vaibhak Deshpande of Technobase IT Solutions PVT Limited on tender matters, which was against the best interest of the company.

He said the accused had failed to state that he knew Vaibhai Desphpande of the company in India.

Dr. Bansod had a prior acquaintance with Desphpande and provided false confidentiality and conflict claims.

The exchanges between the accused and Vaibhai Deshpande through ‘WhatsApp’ messages clearly show how the inside information regarding the tender process of a government company was leaked to Technobase IT Solutions PVT Limited of India,” Magistrate Prasad said.

He said it was also noteworthy that the company’s policy was very clear that Fiji Post board members were required to declare any conflicts of interest to all bidders before the tender was opened and awarded. The accused was served with a form but he continued to make false declarations claiming that he did not know anyone at Technobase IT Solutions PVT Limited.

The Suva Magistrates Court convicted Bansod of abusing his position and dishonest conduct causing loss.

Bansode provided false confidentiality and conflict of interest declarations in the 2022 Fiji Post mobile application design, development and implementation tender.

He has 28 days to appeal to the High Court.

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