A father and son have pleaded not guilty to corruption‑related offences in the Lautoka Magistrates Court.
Former Ministry of Health Executive Ronald Ritesh Narayan pleaded not guilty to all four counts of Abuse of Office and one count of Obtaining a Financial Advantage.
His father and Director of Brink Home Builders Sat Narayan pleaded not guilty to one count of Obtaining a Financial Advantage.
They were charged by FICAC in September for allegedly causing tenders of Ministry of Health to be awarded to Brink Home Builders on four occasions for project works in the Nukuilau Nursing Station, Bukuya Health Centre, Ba Mission Hospital and the Raiwaqa Health Centre.
The alleged offences were committed from September 2016 to October 2017 where $101,041.12FJD was obtained by the two.
FICAC Senior State Counsel Francis Puleiwai informed the Court that prosecution wished to have the matter heard in the Magistrates court and withdrew her application to have the matter transferred to the High Court.
She also requested a Pre‑Trial Conference date before the hearing date was fixed.
Resident Magistrate Rangajeeva Wimalasena adjourned the matter to 22 January 2019.
