Suva Magistrate Makereta Mua will look into the defense counsel’s submission next Thursday where they had objected to the prosecution’s submission to produce another witness in Ratu Isoa Tikoca’s case.
Tikoca’s lawyers, Jolame Uludole and Kitione Vuetaki filed their submissions against the prosecution’s submission on Friday.
FICAC Senior Counsel Rashmi Aslam asked the court last month that they want to produce another witness since they want to clarify whether Tikoca directed his staff to continue the deduction from his salary.
He said the prosecution cannot foresee that the blame was indirectly on the staff so it would be fair for the relevant staff to come and clarify this.
The defense counsel objected to this suggestion.
Tikoca is charged with failure to declare his liabilities contrary to section 24 of the Political Parties Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures Decree.
It is alleged that Tikoca failed to declare the liability and the amount of the liability to the Registrar, the Permanent Secretary responsible for Elections that he had incurred to the Government of Fiji during his tenure as Fiji’s High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea.
