Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum not in Fiji as he is undergoing medical procedures in Singapore

Former Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum is not in the country as he is undergoing another surgery in Singapore.

His lawyer, Gul Fatima filed an application earlier this week for further bail variation for Sayed-Khaiyum.

Acting Chief Magistrate Waleen George has given more time to Assistant DPP Elizabeth Rice to get more information.

Rice says the earlier bail variation application was for Sayed-Khaiyum to go to Singapore for urgent tests but according to medical documents she received yesterday that she has not been able to verify, the tests were not carried out until October.

She says according to the bail variation order, Sayed-Khaiyum was supposed to be back in the country by yesterday and asks why wasn’t an application for further bail variation done before yesterday.

The Assistant DPP says this is a technical breach of bail variation.

When questioned by Acting Chief Magistrate George on when Sayed-Khaiyum left the country, Fatima said bail was granted on the 13th of September and he left a day or two later.

She says she will able to answer those questions later in the day as there is a man who is undergoing medical procedures and he needs his peace of mind. Fatima says Sayed-Khaiyum is likely to return in December.

Acting Chief Magistrate George says for someone who is sick, the last thing they want is to go through petty issues of this sort.

She says she can have the matter called mid-January and if he is not back in the country then the world is so small.

She says if someone is going to lie about being ill, she doubts they want to be undergoing this process and adds you just have to understand what he is going through.

The matter will be called on the 16th of November.

Sayed-Khaiyum is charged with one count of abuse of office.

Sayed-Khaiyum had applied to travel to Singapore for his medical review, which has been delayed since 2022 due to work commitments.

Looking at the charge faced in court - it is alleged that Sayed-Khaiyum between June 30th and July 12th last year, while being the Acting Prime Minister, signed a Deed of Variation and Addendum between the Government and the then Supervisor of Elections, Mohammed Saneem.

It is alleged the approval for the government to pay the taxes of Saneem was done without the proper approval of the Constitutional Offices Commission and the President.