Solicitor General Ropate Green has revealed in the High Court they want to keep the terms of settlement between the Judicial Services Commission, and the Office of the Attorney General and the Commission of Inquiry confidential to protect the integrity of the court and the people involved in the case.
The JSC had filed a case in the High Court to quash the findings of the COI into the appointment of Barbara Malimali as the FICAC Commissioner.
Green, who is the counsel for the Office of the COI and the Office of the Attorney General, has informed High Court Justice Dane Tuiqereqere that the terms of settlement has been reached and the court has the powers to seal the orders.
Green also says that Justice Tuiqereqere does not need to sight the terms of settlement.
Justice Tuiqereqere says the counsel should file the confidential terms of settlement, for his eyes only, as well as their submission for the hearing on the power of the court in keeping it confidential.
Meanwhile, counsel for JSC, Isireli Fa says it is essential to deal with the cost against counsel for COI Chair Justice David Ashton-Lewis Hemendra Nagin as matters outside of that need to heard.
He says Nagin needs to be released from the proceedings as Nagin is dragging the settlement.
Fa says they have offered him $5,000 as costs but they did not receive any response and are treating it as it has not been accepted.
Nagin says a notice of discontinuance cannot be brought like this and questioned why the terms are being kept confidential.
Justice Tuiqreqere told Nagin that the relief being sought does not directly affect him.
The hearing into whether the terms of settlement will be sealed will be on the 23rd of March.
We had earlier asked why the terms of settlement are being kept confidential in the interest of the taxpayers of the country.
Green had said he will not speak on it as it is before the court.
