Fiji govt returns ‘fraud’ funds to Australia

The Fiji government today returned $88,974.97 to the Australian government which was restrained and forfeited in Fiji while the Australian authorities dealt with a fraud case.

Acting Australian High Commissioner Glenn Miles who received a cheque from Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum this afternoon, said that the fraud case involving a Ross William MacArthur, which started in October 2000 has now been resolved.

 Miles said that MacArthur had defrauded the Australian government and the Australian authorities appreciated the assistance provided by the Fiji government.

Khaiyum said that ‘irrespective of the political relations, the Fiji government’s position has always been a very principled one’.

It took the Financial Intelligence Unit an year to forfeit the funds.