The Suva High Court has dismissed an application by Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica to stay criminal proceedings against him, clearing the way for a Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) prosecution to continue. Presiding judge Justice Siainiu Fa’alogo Bull found the defence’s contention that there was no evidence to support the charges “without merit” and refused the stay bid.
Kamikamica faces two counts: one of perjury and one of providing false information. The allegations arise from sworn statements he is accused of making concerning the appointment of Barbara Malimali as FICAC Commissioner. The court’s ruling means the matter will return to the High Court for further procedural hearings, including the setting of trial or mention dates.
In rejecting the stay application, Justice Fa’alogo Bull concluded there were sufficient grounds for FICAC’s prosecution to proceed. Defence counsel had argued that the prosecution lacked adequate evidence to justify continuing the criminal case, a submission the judge dismissed in clear terms. The decision preserves FICAC’s ability to pursue the charges and forces the defence to address them in scheduled court processes rather than at a pre-trial interlocutory stage.
The charges against Kamikamica are linked to a wider controversy that has shadowed the FICAC leadership since 2024, when Malimali’s appointment drew intense scrutiny and she was investigated soon after taking office. That earlier controversy prompted legal and political fallout; a subsequent High Court ruling found aspects of Malimali’s dismissal unlawful, placing further attention on how the appointment and later actions were handled by officials and institutions.
This ruling is the latest development in a matter that has blended legal, administrative and political threads. It follows months of public attention to FICAC’s leadership, and to how allegations of misconduct within constitutional offices are investigated and litigated. With the stay application rejected, both prosecution and defence must now prepare for the next steps in a criminal process that could include contested pre-trial applications, evidentiary hearings and, ultimately, a trial.
No trial date was set in the stay decision. Court registries indicated the case will be listed for further mention so directions can be given on the timetable for disclosure, interlocutory applications and a hearing schedule. FICAC will continue to lead the prosecution, while Kamikamica — who remains Deputy Prime Minister — will proceed through the legal process defending the two charges against him.