The plea for former politician and Registrar of the University of Fiji, Kamlesh Arya will now be taken on the 8th of next month.
Arya is charged with one count of abuse of office and one count of general dishonesty causing a loss.
Arya was supposed to take his plea before Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne but it was deferred to allow the defence to go through the second phase of disclosures.
FICAC State Counsel, Francis Puleiwai informed the court that the second phase of the disclosures have been served but defence lawyer Vijay Maharaj said they only received the second phase of the disclosures yesterday and requested if he could be given until the second week of February to go through them.
Maharaj has also made an application for a change to be made to a condition of his clients bail.
He asked the court if Kamlesh Arya’s designated day to report to the Lautoka FICAC office could be changed from Monday to Friday between 8am to 6pm.
Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne has granted the change and has also extended Arya’s bail.
It is alleged that Arya whilst being employed in the public service as the Registrar at the University of Fiji, and whilst acting as the School Manager for Bhawani Dayal Memorial Primary School, did arbitrary acts for gain in abuse of the authority of his office, namely authorized loans amounting to $116,500 from the Free Education Grant provided by the Ministry of Education to Bhawani Dayal Memorial Primary School.
It is also alleged that Arya dishonestly caused a risk of loss to Bhawani Dayal Memorial School by authorising the Free Education Grants as loans amounting to $116,500, and knowing that the loss will occur or substantial risk of the loss will occur to Bhawani Dayal Memorial School.
The alleged incident occurred in 2014.
