Your actions of bribery directed to a man in charge of finance of a country strikes at the very core of an honest government.

These are the words of High Court Judge Justice Salesi Temo while handing down his sentence to Chinese businessmen Chen Xue Liang and De Chuan Zhao who were found guilty of one count of bribing a public official after they tried to bribe the Permanent Secretary for Finance John Prasad by offering him $6000 and a box of Chinese tea in return for a contract for a water project in Savusavu.

The two were sentenced to 3 years imprisonment however Judge Temo ordered that they are to serve a one year term of imprisonment effectively immediately and suspended the remaining 2 year sentence.

Justice Temo has also fined the two $10,000 each.

Justice Temo in his ruling stated that taking into consideration the position that John Prasad holds as the Permanent Secretary for Finance and also the Chairman of the Water Authority their intentions of bribing a man of influential power was a serious matter.

Justice Temo told the two businessmen that their act of bribing Prasad showed a total disregard of transparency and the disregard of the public's desire to maintain a corrupt free government.