The first witness in the trial of two women who are charged with money laundering related offences said he trusted the two women who were the financial officers of Pacific Theological College, to do their job as they were expected to.

Rosheen Parveen Raj and Rine Munivai Sorby who is also known as Lily Sorby, are charged with 3 counts of money laundering.

It is alleged that Raj between the 1st of June 2006 to the 16th of February 2011 paid herself in excess of her normal salary or wage by falsifying documents and obtained a total sum of $96,576.86 from the Pacific Theological College bank account.

It is alleged that Sorby between the 1st of June 2006 to the 16th of February 2011, paid herself in excess of her normal salary or wage from the Westpac Bank Account by falsifying documents and obtained a total sum of $73,099.95.

It is also alleged that both Raj and Sorby between the 1st of March 2010 to the 30th of November, 2012 engaged directly or indirectly in transactions involving the same bank account, in relation to cheques of Pacific Theological College payable to various body corporates such as Fiji National Provident Fund, Fiji Electricity Authority, Inland Revenue Department, H P Kasabias, Fiji Gas, Water Authority of Fiji, Telecom, Rups Investments and Mechanical Supplies, which had the payees altered to fictitious names and by cashing the falsified cheques obtained a total sum of $412,567.61.

Raj and Sorby allegedly committed these offences whilst being employed as Financial Officers at the Pacific Theological College.

Reverend Dr Felika Nokise who has been the Principal of the College since 2002 says he had signed cheques and so did the Financial Director and other signatories.

He says there is a procedure where the Financial Officers are to prepare the staff wages and hand it over to the Principal, Financial Director and other signatories for checking.

Dr Nokise says once that is done, the staff wages which is presented in a spreadsheet is then given back to the Financial Officers to prepare a cheque.

He explained that once the cheque is prepared, it is sent to the Principal, Financial Director and other signatories for approval.

The Principal while giving evidence in court said that after that it is the Financial Officers duty to pay the parties that the College owes money to.

The trial continues before High Court Judge Justice Salesi Temo.