Four individuals charged in connection with the 2020 Nasinu Town Council scam appeared before the High Court in Suva yesterday for their pre-trial conference.
Former information officer Pauliasi Bainivalu and three directors of the information technology company Innovative Technology, Shiu Raman, Razia Bibi, and Eliki Bola, faced Judge Justice Usaia Ratuvili. They are accused of bribery offenses amounting to $370,000 from the council.
During the court proceedings, Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) lawyer Josann Pene informed the court that Raman, Bibi, and Bola’s lawyer had disagreed with everything FICAC presented in their last meeting.
Defense lawyer Jioji Cakau stated that the responses he provided last Friday were based on his clients’ instructions. He mentioned that despite meeting with his clients that morning to persuade them, they remained steadfast in their responses to the trial bundle presented by Ms. Pene.
Mr. Cakau requested another pre-trial conference to further discuss the trial bundle with his clients. However, Justice Ratuvili expressed concern that this was prolonging the matter, which needed swift resolution. The case was adjourned to August 8 for further deliberation, with the trial set to run from August 13 to 30.
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