Fijian women promised marriage lose $19,000

A number of women in Fiji have been collectively conned out of FJD$19,000 (£5,940) by two men who promised them marriage.

Each of the women was allegedly told by Vinod Prasad that he would arrange visas for them to visit Australia, where his accomplice Divendra Nair would marry them. They advertised in local papers between July 2005 and November 2006, and they took between FJD$1500 (£469) and FJD$3000 (£938) from a total of 15 women.

The pair appeared in Suva Magistrates Court yesterday charged with obtaining money under false pretences, and pleaded guilty. Mr Prasad, 56, has more than 200 previous convictions.

However, the pair were not sentenced during the hearing because prosecutors only had 12 of the 15 required evidence files - one for each alleged offence - leading Magistrate Aruna Prasad to adjourn the case.

Mr Prasad and Mr Nair, who both initially pleaded not guilty, had asked that all 15 files be heard at the same time. The trial will recommence today (Friday).