Closing submissions in Bainimarama and Qiliho’s trial today

The counsels for former Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended Police Commissioner, Sitiveni Qiliho, and the State are expected to make their closing submissions in Bainimarama and Qiliho’s trial today.

Magistrate Seini Puamau was then expected to set a date to deliver her judgement.

With the untimely passing of the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, Ratu David Toganivalu, who was handling the case for the State, all eyes are also on the trial on the next step to be taken.

Bainimarama is charged with a count of attempt to pervert the course of justice while Qiliho is charged with a count of abuse of office. It is alleged that Bainimarama sometime in July 2020 as the Prime Minister directed the Police Commissioner to stop the investigation into a police complaint, in the abuse of the authority of his office, which was an arbitrary act prejudicial to the rights of the University of the South Pacific which is the complainant.

It is alleged that Qiliho on the 15th of July, 2020 as the Police Commissioner directed the Director of the Criminal Investigations Department, Serupepeli Neiko and Inspector Reshmi Dass to stop investigations into the police complaint by the USP, in the abuse of the authority of his office, which was arbitrary act of prejudicial to the rights to USP.

Bainimarama and Qiliho are represented by R Patel Lawyers Devanesh Sharma and Gul Fatima while Acting Director of Public Prosecutions, Ratu David Toganivalu was representing the State.