Permanent Secretary for Environment, Joshua Wycliffe stresses that they did everything they could to prohibit illegal developments by Freesoul Limited in Malolo, and the Environment Department inspectors were even stoned during the process.
Wycliffe says they did issue prohibition notices but the developer did not follow the instructions.
He says generally speaking, rogue developers will be taken to court if they do not follow the notices issued.
Freesoul Limited who have been found guilty of two counts of undertaking unauthorized developments in Malolo will now be sentenced in the High Court.
The State had filed an application for the matter to be transferred to the High Court because the maximum fine for the offence is $750,000 and the Magistrates Court could only sentence for a fine of $15,000.
They had also said that the quantum range for the fine that it seeks is from $450,001 to $750,000.
The charges against Freesoul relate to the failure to comply with a prohibition notice issued by the Department of Environment in June 2018 and carrying out of resort development activity in Malolo without an approved Environmental Impact Assessment Report.
The case will be called in the Suva High Court on 15th December.
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