A Former Forestry Commissioner has gotten off lightly on official corruption charges after a Magistrate ruled on a suspended sentence.
Gideon Bauro was sentenced on two counts of official corruption which he pleaded guilty to last week at the Magistrate's Court.He had committed the offences in his capacity as the Commissioner of the forestry department in 2003 when he received a SBD$50,000 cheque for himself and others on two occasions from the Lu Ling Company and Bulcan Company on behalf of the Forestry Department.
Magistrate Mekeo Gauli sentenced Bauro to one year imprisonment each for counts one and two respectively but suspended them and instead placed Bauro on a good behaviour bond for a period of 12 months.
Magistrate Gauli cautioned Bauro that should he re-offends within the period of his bond, he will serve his sentence.
Magistrate Gauli said his ruling takes into account that there was substantial delay in the laying of charges against Bauro and the fact that he was not alone in these acts.
He said there were others involved and who had also benefited from the monies solicited and received.