A SCHOOL teacher is facing re-trial in April for allegedly embezzling $1.3 million from the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) in 2017 and 2018.
The matter of Cecilia Tome who faces one count of embezzlement in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court came before the Honiara Magistrate’s Court on Friday for an interim mention date.
Her trial dates were set for April 14 -18.
The prosecution and the defence counsel have confirmed they have no issues to raise at present.
The case was remitted to the Honiara Magistrate Court early this year following an appeal by the prosecution against a magistrate’s decision to acquit Tome of the charges in 2021.
A High Court judge ruled that the matter should be retried in Honiara Magistrate Court before a different magistrate.
In 2021, Principal Magistrate Tearo Beneteti acquitted Tome after a “no case to answer” submission by her lawyer.
The original trial was conducted based on the tendering of documents and evidence by both parties without calling witnesses.
The alleged offence occurred in 2017, when two large payments totalling over $3million were mistakenly paid into Tome’s bank account in December 2017.
The error was made by a Payroll staff in the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MoFT), who inserted the date instead of the amount meant to be paid into Tome’s account.
The Prosecution alleged that Tome embezzled $1.3 million, which she used for her personal benefit, after mistakenly receiving $3,806,297.77
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
