Defense lawyers in Fiji’s high-profile case involving former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and former Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho say they do not anticipate filing a no-case-to-answer submission as the proceedings move forward. Bainimarama and Qiliho are slated to testify as defense witnesses tomorrow, following a day in which several prosecution witnesses completed their testimony in the Suva High Court.
Key forensic witnesses, Investigating Officer Tomasi Cabecuva and Digital Forensic Officer Savenaca Joape, were the last to testify today. Cabecuva told the court there was no attempt to recover Viber messages from Bainimarama’s phone when the initial complaint was lodged in February 2023, and that the messages were not retrieved before the device was factory reset in March 2023. Joape said he was given 48 hours to extract the messages but could not do so because of the reset. Assistance was later sought from the Australian Federal Police, which used Cellebrite software since the Cyber Crime Unit’s license had expired. The extraction was completed last week.
Bainimarama faces one count of making unwarranted demands as a public official, while Qiliho faces two counts of abuse of office. Prosecutors allege that Bainimarama pressured then-Acting Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu to dismiss two officers, and that Qiliho allegedly overrode Tudravu’s disciplinary decisions and unlawfully terminated the officers.
This ongoing trial has drawn significant attention to governance and accountability within Fiji’s public service. The defense has indicated it will call Bainimarama and Qiliho as witnesses in the coming days, while the prosecution continues to present its case. The cross-border cooperation in digital forensics, highlighted by the involvement of the Australian Federal Police and Cellebrite, underscores the growing role of electronic evidence in high-profile public-office cases.
Overall, the proceedings reflect a continued effort to address alleged misconduct and uphold due process in Fiji’s judicial system, with observers hopeful for a transparent and fair resolution.
Summary: The defense will present Bainimarama and Qiliho as witnesses as prosecutors wrap up their digital-forensics case, including new details on how electronic evidence was handled. The case remains a focal point for discussions on governance and accountability in Fiji.
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