Former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended Commissioner of Police Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho will go on trial for an abuse of office case in June next year. The Magistrates Court in Suva has scheduled the trial to run for six weeks, from June 2 to July 11, 2025.
Defence Counsel Davenesh Sharma announced plans to call 30 witnesses, citing no agreed facts in the case. A pre-trial conference is set for January 13, 2025.
Bainimarama pleaded not guilty to one count of unwarranted demand made by a public official, while Qiliho pleaded not guilty to two counts of abuse of office before Resident-Magistrate Jeremaia Savou.
The charges allege that between May 21 and August 18, 2021, Bainimarama, in his role as Prime Minister, made an unwarranted demand to Rusiate Tudravu, urging the termination of Fiji Police Force officers Sergeant Penieli Ratei and Police Constable Tomasi Naulu. The demand stated that Bainimarama would resign if the officers were not terminated, aiming to influence Tudravu’s official duties as Acting Commissioner of Police.
Qiliho is accused of reviewing and overturning Tudravu’s disciplinary decisions regarding Ratei and Naulu between August 5 and 18, 2021, thereby terminating their employment arbitrarily and prejudicially. This act is deemed an abuse of his authority as Commissioner of Police.
The case is set for mention on January 13, 2025.