Magistrates Court Judge Michael Scott had sentenced Karani to eight months imprisonment after convicting him guilty of official corruption.

A spokesman from the Provincial Government Ministry however says there are no immediate plans for a bye-election to fill the North Star Harbour ward in Makira Ulawa Provincial Assembly vacated by Karani's imprisonment.

Magistrate Scott heard that Karani had devised a sham tender process when he was a chief electoral officer in the Electoral Commission for his personal gain.

The court heard that Karani acted dishonestly and deceived his superior officers and the Ministry of Finance by chartering a vessel under a contract agreement to conduct a bye-election in the Ulawa Ugi Constituency in 2004.

The court heard that the fraud scheme earned Karani a personal gain of six thousand 500 dollars.


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