The stop departure order for Carpenters Fiji Limited Director, Daniel Whippy who is charged with counselling the commission of an offence, has been lifted by the Suva Magistrates Court, and Magistrate Seini Puamau says Whippy needs to surrender a $50,000 cash bond to the court registry by or before 12pm tomorrow.
Magistrate Puamau says the travel bail has been lifted for Whippy’s business travel from 29th March to 10th April and from the 1st to the 17th of May.
She says Whippy also needs to return his passport to the court before 4pm on 10th April however, she will make orders on the 11th of April for his passport release of his second travel.
She says the commission will serve the second phase of disclosures on 2nd April and hopes for the plea to be taken on the 11th April.
It is alleged that between 1st January 2018 and 28th September 2018, as the Director of W R Carpenters (South Pacific) PTE Limited, Whippy counselled former Board Chair of the National Fire Authority, John O’Connor to amend the findings in their 30th April 2018 Fire Investigation Report, for the fire that occurred at the MH Warehouse located at Walu Bay.
John O'Connor has been charged with 1 count of abuse of office for gain.
It is alleged that John O’Connor between 1st January 2018 and 28th September 2018 whilst being employed as the Board Chair of the National Fire Authority in abuse of his office, did an arbitrary act, namely directing the officers of the National Fire Authority to amend the findings in their 30th April 2018 Fire Investigation Report, for the fire that occurred on the 8th of April 2018 at the MH Warehouse located at Walu Bay, which was part of an act prejudicial to the rights of the NFA for the purposes of gain.
The case is adjourned to next Tuesday.
Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations
