FICAC charges Padarath

Suva businessman Ben Padarath appeared in the Suva Magistrates Court yesterday in relation to another case after he was charged by FICAC.

Padarath has been charged with giving false information to a public servant last year.

FICAC lawyer Livai Sovau produced Padarath before Magistrate Tushara Rajasinghe yesterday afternoon.

Padarath is alleged to have given information which he knew to be false to the Director of Immigration Major Nemani Vuniwaqa, via text messages, intending to cause the Director to include the name of one Paul Freeman in the Fiji Immigration Watch List.

Padarath’s lawyer Rajendra Chaudhry asked FICAC to explain under what powers or jurisdiction has FICAC laid the charge against his client.

He asked whether the charge was laid under the Crimes Decree or the FICAC Promulgation.

Sovau said that he did not have the FICAC Promulgation with him in court.

However he said that Padarath was charged under the Crimes Decree.

Magistrate Rajasinghe has given Sovau time to go through the FICAC Promulgation and come back to court in a fortnight’s time.

Chaudhry requested the court to allow Padarath to report to FICAC once a fortnight because his client was seriously injured.

FICAC did not object to it.

The court has ordered that Padarath has to report to the FICAC office once a fortnight and has been released on $2,000 bail.

The case will be recalled on the 19th of this month.


Story by: Tokasa Rainima and Vijay Narayan