The court hearing regarding the abuse of office charge against former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum was postponed yesterday. The session was meant to address the State prosecution’s response to the defense’s challenge of the charge, which had been sanctioned by former Acting Director of Public Prosecutions John Rabuku.
The postponement occurred because all magistrates were attending a conference in Suva this week. The case has been rescheduled for next Tuesday at the Suva Magistrate’s Court, where Magistrate Yogesh Prasad will preside. Additionally, the prosecution’s request to consolidate the cases for both individuals will remain on hold until this matter is addressed.
Sayed-Khaiyum has been excused from attending the next court session. Magistrate Joji Boseiwaqa granted this request while overseeing the case involving Sayed-Khaiyum and former Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem, who also faces an abuse of office charge. Sayed-Khaiyum is accused of signing a Deed of Variation and Addendum between the Government of Fiji and Saneem. Subsequently, Saneem was charged with receiving a corrupt benefit amounting to $55,944.03 from Sayed-Khaiyum’s actions.
During the proceedings, Sayed-Khaiyum’s defense lawyer, Devanesh Sharma, indicated that his client’s absence was due to health issues, and the court accepted this request. As a result, only Saneem will be present at the next court appearance.