A MAN who was responsible for verifying the items that are delivered to the Government Supplies yard told the court that he had signed the invoice even though he was aware that not all the materials that had been ordered for were delivered.
Prosecution witness Emosi Basu highlighted this when he took the witness stand yesterday as the trial against Jovilisi Dau,a former manager of the then-Rural Housing Unit, continued before High Court judge Justice Salesi Temo.
Mr Dau is standing trial before the High Court in Suva for allegedly signing a delivery docket to accept materials of $184,000 from Central City Hardware Ltd, but the hardware company only supplied $46,081.60 worth of building materials.
The alleged incident took place in July 2011.
Mr Basu who was the clerk of the then-Rural Housing Unit said he was instructed by Mr Dau to sign the invoice.
He said he and the other officers who were supposed to sign the invoice to verify that the items had been fully delivered had refused to sign because they were aware that not all the hardware items that were ordered were delivered.
Mr Basu said he was employed in the then-Ministry of Provincial Development from 2006 to 2011 but he was terminated in 2011 following an investigation into this case.
The trial continues tomorrow at the High Court in Suva.
