Former Attorney General and Civil Aviation Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, along with Shaenaz Voss, former Executive General of Corporate Affairs at Fiji Airways, and Sharun Ali, Fiji Airways General Manager of Safety, Security, and Quality, were granted bail under strict conditions on Friday.
The trio appeared in Nadi Magistrates Court before Magistrate Semi Babitu, facing various charges stemming from incidents that occurred between 2018 and 2023. Sayed-Khaiyum faces a total of 44 charges, including 11 counts of unlawful firearm carriage on an aircraft, 11 counts of receiving corrupt benefits, 11 counts of breach of trust by a public servant, and 11 counts of abuse of office.
Voss is facing three charges related to the provision of corrupt benefits, while Ali is charged with 11 counts of giving a corrupt benefit. Additionally, Voss, Ali, and Fiji Link face five counts for breaching mandatory reporting of security occurrences and three counts of violating airline security regulations.
The charges are made under the Civil Aviation (Security) Act of 1994, Civil Aviation (Security) Regulations of 1994, and Crimes Act of 2009. The prosecution was represented by Acting Assistant DPP Laisani Tabuakuro and DPP John Rabuku, while Sayed-Khaiyum and Voss were defended by lawyer Gul Fatima, and Ali was represented by Wasu Pillay.
The prosecution did not oppose bail but requested more stringent conditions, including a substantial cash bail amount of $50,000, citing the serious nature of the allegations. The defense argued that the cash requirement was excessive and suggested the acceptance of non-cash bail bonds, referencing similar cases in other courts. Pillay assured the court that his client wouldn’t flee, noting that the investigation had been ongoing for over a year.
Tabuakuro responded that the accused had treated the airline as their own during their tenure. She requested the court to consider non-cash bail options and asked for the matter to be rescheduled in six weeks.
Magistrate Babitu set the bail conditions, requiring the accused to surrender their passports, comply with a stop departure order, and avoid any contact with prosecution witnesses, many of whom are employed by Fiji Airways. Sayed-Khaiyum’s passport is currently retained by the Suva Magistrates Court.
Ultimately, the magistrate established a non-cash bail bond of $10,000, mandating that each accused person provide two sureties who are also bound by the same non-cash conditions. The next court session is scheduled for November 14.