Yafai apologises for the crime committed

Former Deputy Finance Secretary Jacob Yafai, who was recently found guilty of all five counts of misappropriation, today apologized to the taxpayers and the rest of the country for the crime he committed.

During his allocution today, Mr Yafai told the court that he accepts the conviction of misappropriating K41.8 million of public monies; however, he asked the court to show some leniency in his sentencing.

An allocution, or allocutus, is a formal statement made to a court by the defendant who has been found guilty before being sentenced. It is part of the criminal procedure in some jurisdictions using common law. An allocution allows the defendant to explain why the sentence should be lenient

Yafai stated that he has contributed immensely as a public servant to the development of the country, and two of his biggest contributions are the Integrated Financial Management System [IMFS] and the DSIP policy, both developed under his guidance and leadership.

His lawyer Edward Sasingian also made submissions on Mr Yafai's sentencing today, seeking the court's discretion to be lenient with his sentencing.

Mr Sasingian submitted that his client is the only parent to 6 children that depend entirely on him.

He also submitted that his client did not benefit from the offense he committed but simply followed instructions from his superiors.

He asked the court if all five counts of misappropriation can be served concurrently with minimum term of sentencing.

Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika will inform parties once a decision on the sentencing is ready.