Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said the regulator would continue to enforce workplace laws and take business operators to court where lawful requests are not complied with.

“Where employers do not comply, we will take appropriate action to protect employees. A court can order a business to pay penalties in addition to back-paying workers.”

The two affected workers were paid flat rates as low as $15 per hour, which resulted in underpayment of the junior hourly rates, casual loadings, and weekend and public holiday penalty rates.

In imposing the penalties, Judge Stewart Brown found that the affected worker was vulnerable and remained “out of pocket” despite direct requests to the cleaning operator.

While leaving the court premises, Bainimarama told the media that he “served as a prime minister of Fiji with integrity and everyone’s interest at heart”.

Financial details of several individuals and businesses were also unlawfully obtained, resulting in using credit card information to make a series of unauthorised purchases.

Bainimarama and Qiliho were questioned in detail at CID headquarters last month and a number of police files on various matters are in the process of being reviewed in the Office of the DPP.

The operation - codenamed Operation Sleigh - aimed to crack down on offensive, disruptive and illegal behaviour in the air and on the ground.

It is alleged that total underpayments of the 14 staff were $154,424, and ranged from $927 to $30,140 for individuals.

The man allegedly declared on his application for a marriage certificate in both matters that he had ‘never validly married’ and signed a formal ‘declaration of no legal impediment to marriage’.