The prosecution in Fiji is reevaluating the charges against former Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) CEO Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and current Chief Financial Officer Vimlesh Sagar. This decision was articulated by FICAC lawyer Lilliane Mausio during a court session presided over by Senior Magistrate Sufia Hamza.
Both Sayed-Khaiyum and Sagar’s legal representatives, Gul Fatima and Ritesh Singh respectively, have recently made representations to the prosecution regarding the charges. Sayed-Khaiyum’s lawyer submitted a request on March 11 for amending the charges, while Sagar’s attorney sought withdrawal of the charges on October 24 of the previous year.
Sayed-Khaiyum faces serious allegations, including abuse of office and general dishonesty that purportedly caused a loss to the company. He is accused of circumventing FBC’s tender process to purchase a 3.0L Volkswagen Touareg for $207,240, leading to a financial detriment of $84,470 for FBC. Concurrently, Sagar is charged with general dishonesty for approving payments associated with this vehicle purchase.
Additionally, Sayed-Khaiyum is involved in another case where he is alleged to have initiated five legal proceedings without board approval, incurring costs of $138,813.37 between July 1, 2017, and January 31 of last year. Sagar is similarly charged with unauthorized payments totaling $15,075.88 to R Patel Lawyers from January 1 to December 31 of last year.
Mausio informed the court that the prosecution intends to consolidate the charges into a single court session before Magistrate Krishan Prasad. The case will resume on May 15.
The importance of this case highlights the ongoing struggle for transparency and accountability in corporate governance, particularly in public sector organizations like FBC. As these legal proceedings unfold, there is hope that they will lead to strengthened adherence to ethical practices, ultimately protecting the interests of stakeholders and restoring trust in public institutions.
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