AFP officers to extract information from Bainimarama’s phone

State Counsel Laisani Tabuakuro has informed the High Court in the trial of former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and former Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho that Australian Federal Police technicians will arrive by the end of this week with machines to extract the information from Bainimarama’s old iPhone they have managed to locate.

Tabuakuro says they have been attempting to extract data from it since last week but have been unable to retrieve information from August 2021.

The State Counsel says they believe the phone the Planning and Coordinating Officer at the Prime Minister's Office, William Pawa has belonged to former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and was used in 2021 to send Viber messages.

She says they were able to track the phone with the IMEI number provided by Vodafone Fiji.

While giving evidence in the trial, State witness Pawa says he assisted in recovering some items from Bainimarama when his term as the Prime Minister ended.

He says the Apple screen was replaced by Bainimarama, while the iPhone 12 Pro that was returned had a serial number.

Pawa testified that he later asked the former Prime Minister if he could use the iPhone 12 Pro.

When Tabuakuro asked if his superiors were aware of this personal arrangement, Pawa confirmed they were not.

Pawa says he received the phone in August 2023 and used it until last Thursday, when police collected it.

During cross-examination, defence counsel Devanesh Sharma asked how Pawa knew if the phone he received was new.

He replied that he believed it was new because the iCloud did not require any password.

Bainimarama is charged with one count of unwarranted demand made by a public official, while former Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho is charged with two counts of abuse of office.

It is alleged that Bainimarama and Qiliho made unwarranted demands to then Acting Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu, directing him to terminate the employment of certain police officers from the Fiji Police Force.

It is alleged that Bainimarama, between the 21st of May 2021 to the 18th of August 2021 in Suva, as the Prime Minister of Fiji made an unwarranted demand with menance to the then Acting Commissioner of Police, Rusiate Tudravu, by threatening his employment to influence the Acting COMPOL to comply with his unwarranted demand for the termination of the employment of Sergeant Penieli Ratei and Police Constable Tomasi Naulu who came under the supervision and authority of the Commissioner of Police.

It is alleged that between the 5th to the 18th of August 2021 in Suva whilst being employed as the Commissioner of Police, Qiliho directed the termination of employment of Sergeant Penieli Ratei and Police Constable Tomasi Naulu without due process which was an abuse of office of his authority as the Commissioner of Police and the termination was prejudicial to the rights Ratei and Naulu.