Four individuals accused of involvement in a Nasinu Town Council scam in 2020 appeared before the High Court in Suva for a pre-trial conference. Former information officer Pauliasi Bainivalu, along with Shiu Raman, Razia Bibi, and Eliki Bola, directors of Innovative Technology, are facing charges related to bribery offences amounting to $370,000 from the council.
During the proceedings, Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) lawyer Josann Pene informed the court that the defence lawyer for Raman, Bibi, and Bola had disagreed with everything presented by FICAC in a previous meeting.
Defence lawyer Jioji Cakau stated that his responses were based on feedback from his clients. Despite meeting them yesterday morning in an attempt to convince them, his clients remained firm in their stance against the trial bundle presented by Ms. Pene.
Mr. Cakau requested another pre-trial conference to further discuss the trial bundle with his clients. Judge Justice Usaia Ratuvili noted that this was prolonging the matter, which needed swift resolution. The case has been adjourned to August 8 to resolve the issues, with the trial scheduled from August 13 to 30.
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