Pop singer Paulini Curuenavuli is reportedly facing up to seven years behind bars for allegedly bribing a government official.
The Daily Telegraph reports the 34-year-old allegedly provided $800 to Roads and Maritime Services employee, Faletausala Vaifale, in order to secure an unrestricted driver’s licence, despite not being qualified to get behind the wheel.
The newspaper reported that Curuenavuli, who first found fame on the 2003 series of Australian Idol, was allegedly caught after authorities began an investigation into Vaifale over potential links to a series of bikie-related shootings in Western Sydney early last year.
There is no suggestion Curuenavuli is in any way linked to any gang or bikie-related activity.
In a statement to Mamamia, a NSW Police spokesperson confirmed that a 34-year-old woman was served a future court attendance notice on June 30.
She faces a charge of corruptly giving a benefit to an agent, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years jail.
"Police will allege the woman paid an RMS employee to unlawfully provide an unrestricted NSW driver licence. She is due to appear in Mount Druitt Local Court on 16 August, 2017.
"The 27-year-old female employee was charged in July 2016 and no longer works at the RMS."
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Curuenavuli's lawyer said his client, who is currently starring in Brisbane stage production of The Body Guard, was taking the allegation very seriously.
"She’s aware of the gravity of the charges and she has instructed us as her legal representatives to treat the matter with the utmost seriousness," he told the outlet.
Mamamia has reached out to Curuenavuli's management, but they had not responded by the time of publishing.
Top Comments
This makes me really annoyed. She had not proven her competency to drive and that was a risk to all of us on the roads. The test is not hard (and for less than $800 you can hire a driving instructor to take you in the same route as the driving school). It is just pure laziness. I'm from Fiji and this is such a common thing to do back in the islands (pay for someone to issue you the licence) resulting in a bunch of incompetent drivers on the road.