Former Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem, has stated in an affidavit that his rights were violated during his time in custody. Resident Magistrate Yogesh Prasad, overseeing the case at the Magistrates Court in Suva, indicated that he would evaluate and determine whether these breaches occurred. He will also decide on the legitimacy of the charges brought against Saneem by then Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, John Rabuku.
The State and Defense have been instructed to submit required documents by October 28. Both Saneem and former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum are mandated to be present in court. Acting DPP Nancy Tikoisuva represented the State, while lawyers Davenesh Sharma and Gul Fatima appeared on behalf of Saneem.
Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum faces a charge of abuse of office, while Saneem is charged with receiving a corrupt benefit. The allegations against Sayed-Khaiyum claim that between June 30 and July 12, 2022, while he was Acting Prime Minister, he signed a Deed of Variation and Addendum between the Government and Saneem. The accusations suggest that the approval for the government to cover Saneem’s taxes lacked the necessary consent from the Constitutional Offices Commission and the President.
Furthermore, it is alleged that between June 1 and July 31, 2022, while serving as Supervisor of Elections, Saneem unlawfully requested and received over $50,000 in deductible tax relief on his back pay from a senior government official. The case has been postponed until November 4 for a hearing.