Audit Officer denies forgery

The Principal Accountant Officer of the Audit Office has denied forging a Samoa National Provident Fund (S.N.P.F.) cheque in February this year. 

Tovio Junior Taefu appeared before the Supreme Court this week and pleaded not guilty to nine forgery related charges against him. 

He is facing three counts of forgery, three counts of using forged documents and three charges of altering documents. 

Taefu is accused of willfully making a false document, namely a S.N.P.F. cheque, and caused others to act upon it as if it was genuine. 

Lawyer, Arthur Lesa, acting on behalf of Lefau Harry Schuster, represented Taefu in Court this week. 

Chief Justice, His Honour Satiu Simativa Perese adjourned the matter for hearing to 19 April 2021. 

The accused of Vaimoso and Siufaga Falelatai has been remanded on bail with conditions to sign at the Police post weekly.