Fijian and British national, Charlie Charters who has been charged with two counts of aiding and abetting under the Crimes Act by FICAC, is now released on bail.
Charters appeared before Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne this afternoon.
Charters was in FICAC custody since Saturday and was kept at the FICAC office in Suva since Saturday night.
He is being represented by Seforan Fatiaki, Wylie Clarke, Laurel Vaurasi, Richard Naidu, Gavin O'Driscoll and Subhash Parshotam.
FICAC lawyer Rusiate Doidoi asked for strict bail conditions including not to approach FICAC officials and restrictions on publishing material related to the case.
Charters' counsel Seforan Fatiaki asked for no bail conditions to be imposed except for sureties as Charters was on his way to Sydney to cover a sporting event.
Fatiaki says Charters is not a Fijian resident and lives in Hong Kong but was in Fiji to pick up his passport.
He stresses that Charters' employment is at stake.
The lawyer also highlighted that the principal offender has not been charged or identified.
He also says that these are not normal circumstances as Charters is not a Fijian resident.
When questioned by Magistrate Somaratne if Charters has a history of absconding bail as strict bail conditions are being asked for, Doidoi says he cannot disclose that now.
Magistrate Somaratne has granted Charters bail under normal conditions, including a $2,000 surety, $2,000 bail bond, not to reoffend, non interference with witnesses, surrendering his travel documents, a stop departure order and to have a fixed residential address.
Seforan says he does not know who the witnesses are.
Magistrate Somaratne says that can be provided by FICAC within 7 days in the second phase disclosures.
He also says that Fatiaki can apply for bail variation.
Fatiaki has told the court that he will be filing a stay application on the charges in the High Court following Lavi Rokoika's unlawful appointment as of 2nd February, 2026.
Charters' surety is Culden Kamea.
The case has been adjourned to 2nd of March.
Meanwhile Charters had said in a letter written from FICAC custody last night that he was approached by whistleblower(s) with the information that FICAC had hired the daughter of the Fiji Sports Council CEO – just days after FICAC had cleared the same CEO of converting a public sponsorship for private benefit.
The letter by Charters says at Nadi International Airport on Saturday, he was offered a deal – tell FICAC about the whistleblower(s) and he can get on his flight.
Charters says FICAC campaigns relentlessly for public and private bodies to set up whistleblower policies but FICAC itself has no such whistleblower pro policy.
He says FICAC acts like Moses on top of the mountain but they ain't Moses.
Charters asks who investigates the investigators and how can you expect Fiji to unsee things that are so obvious to see.
He says family and friends being preferred by a taxpayer-funded law enforcement agency with almost limitless powers to punish is wrong however they try to dress up the charges.
Charters asks who benefits from his prosecution.
Stay with us for developments.
