The Suva Magistrates Court has set May 12, 2026, for judgment in a Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) bribery case involving former Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) officer Josese Vusoniceva and Labasa businessman Ajesh Sharma, in the latest development in a long-running probe.
Magistrate Jeremaia Savou found there is sufficient evidence for the matter to proceed after the prosecution presented a mixture of direct and circumstantial evidence it said had not been discredited to the point that no reasonable tribunal could convict. The two are each charged with one count of bribery arising from alleged payments made between January 1 and September 30, 2015. It is alleged Vusoniceva, then a Works Warrant Officer with the Engineers Unit of the RFMF, accepted payments totalling $9,906 from Sharma in return for carrying out certain acts in his capacity as a public servant.
Both men face alternative charges: Vusoniceva is also charged with accepting an advantage, while Sharma faces an alternative charge of bribery of a public servant by a person having dealings with a public body. At the time of the alleged payments, Sharma served as Manager of Sales and Company Secretary for Buildex Marketing Limited, according to the particulars before the court.
During proceedings the accused each exercised their right to silence and did not call any witnesses in their defence, a point noted by Magistrate Savou in his assessment that the prosecution’s evidence remained intact. Vusoniceva is represented by lawyer Etonia Moce and Sharma by Jasveel Singh. FICAC State Counsel Nimisha Shankar appeared for the prosecution.
The magistrate’s ruling that both men “have a case to answer” moves the matter past an important evidentiary threshold. The May 12 judgment will determine whether the court is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt on the charges or the alternatives put forward by the state. No date has yet been set for submissions on sentencing because a conviction has not been recorded.
This ruling is the latest in an active period for FICAC, which has pursued several high-profile corruption matters in recent months, including convictions and sentences in separate cases involving former public servants. The Vusoniceva–Sharma matter stems from alleged conduct in 2015, underscoring the commission’s ongoing investigations into historic transactions involving public officials and private contractors.
The case will return to the Suva Magistrates Court on May 12 for the delivery of the judgment.
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