Sharma to make additional submissions on Wednesday for Bainimarama and Qiliho’s no case to answer application

Former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho's lawyers have been given time until Wednesday to file additional submissions for their no case to answer application.

Magistrate Seini Puamau says by consent Bainimarama and Qiliho's lawyer, Devanesh Sharma will file additional submissions by tomorrow and the court will reconvene on Wednesday for Sharma's and Acting DPP Ratu David Toganivalu's oral submission.

She says Sharma will submit continuation of submission as there is something that needs further expanding.

The Magistrate also asked if there was ever a situation where the Prime Minister and Commissioner of Police are not Prime Minister and Commissioner of Police, and does it matter where they sit.

Magistrate Puamau says she will need guidance on this from the lawyers.

She adds as a judicial officer there are certain places she cannot go and things she cannot say at all times.

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 and Nimisha Shankar are representing the State.