The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) held a private sector anti-corruption awareness session for Vinod Patel And Company Pte Limited (Vinod Patel) at their headquarters in Centre Point, Nabua on Thursday, 20 February 2025.
Staff members from Vinod Patel’s four (4) divisions participated in the session, which provided education and information on the laws and offences, corruption risks and potential consequences.
FICAC’s Principal Corruption Prevention Officer, Ms Paulina Rauca said the team advocated on the importance of identifying corruption risks in their areas of work and implementing best practices for the staff(s) particularly on the Gift-giving policy. FICAC passed on the important information to help employees understand about corruption.
“The session was very informative for the Vinod Patel staff members as we interacted with them in informing them about corrupt practices and the preventative measures they can take when dealing with customers,” Rauca said.
“By promising not to engage in or entertain the corrupt practice of bribery, and publicly demonstrating this commitment, our awardees are making Fiji a better place for everyone. By working together, this vital endeavour can be expanded further, and the anti-corruption movement can grow further and have the more lasting impact. If we do not eliminate bribery, the most vulnerable will continue to suffer, and the chances of building a better and more sustainable future for everyone, everywhere will be reduced.
“Knowledge is the first line of defence against corruption. We empower individuals to recognise and resist its allure. Prevention is not just a policy, it's a practice. We're building a culture of integrity, one conversation at a time.
“We recognise that businesses are key partners in the fight against corruption. By working collaboratively with a large company and employer like Vinod Patel, we can create a united front, sharing knowledge and best practices to strengthen our collective defences against corruption.”
Vinod Patel Group’s General Manager for Environmental, Social and Governance Ms Latileta Qoro said the company was thankful to the FICAC team for agreeing to carry out session for employees.
Davies Mani, General Manager Properties and Projects of the Vinod Patel Group said the session with FICAC has provided the employees with the practical tools and understanding necessary to navigate difficult situations and maintain the highest ethical standards.
"Sometimes, seemingly normal practices can inadvertently lead to situations that could be perceived as corrupt. A key takeaway from this session was learning how to appropriately interact with government officials, especially given our operational dealings with government stakeholders and local authorities. The training clarified the dos and don'ts, particularly regarding gift policies and what constitutes corrupt practices. We will now conduct internal awareness sessions with our teams” Mr Mani said.
Ms Qoro added “The sessions have been beneficial in many ways. We see ways in which we can strengthen risk management and internal controls based on the information shared by FICAC. In addition, we launched our Anti-Bribery Policy on 1st of January this year and the FICAC sessions have certainly reinforced key elements of that Policy and contextualised through practical examples what bribery can look like in our employees’ respective line of work. That practical understanding is important. It was also great for us to understand from FICAC the applicable fines/penalties and jail term in the Prevention of Bribery Act (POBA). This certainly helped employees understand the repercussions that non-compliance with POBA and our Anti Bribery Policy law can have on them and by extension their family, and their future”.
“We look forward to rolling this important awareness initiative out across the Vinod Patel Group and making this an area of ongoing partnership with the Education & Prevention arm of FICAC.”