Former Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum is currently taking the stand in their abuse of office trial with former Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem.
The two appeared before Chief Justice Salesi Temo this morning.
Sayed-Khaiyum confirmed in the Suva High Court that he was not employed as a civil servant.
He says that Saneem was reappointed as the Supervisor of Elections in January 2021 after his appointment letter came from the then President Jioji Konrote.
The former Attorney General says the letter was addressed to Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama as the Chair of the Constitutional Officers Commission.
He also raised the point that the Office of the President doesn't have any budget to do these tasks which is why it is delegated to the Prime Minister to carry it out.
Sayed-Khaiyum says the contract of service was between the Government and Saneem which Bainimarama executed on behalf of the Government.
Defence Counsel, Devanesh Sharma asked if it was right for Saneem to request a review of his pay in January 2021, to which Sayed-Khaiyum says he has held the role of Supervisor of Elections since 2014 and under his contract there were supposed to be reviews, but it didn't happen.
Sayed-Khaiyum says for Saneem to raise this issue it would have to be sent to Solicitor General Sharvada Sharma who was the secretary for the COC who would then raise it with the Chair.
He says an independent committee was then set up on 8th March 2021 to review this made up of Haroon Ali from BSP and Pravish Punja of Punja and Sons.
The case continues.
Stay with us.
