The Suva Magistrates Court has ruled that the corruption-related charge against former Minister for Fisheries and Forests Kalaveti Ravu is not defective.
Ravu is charged alongside former Fisheries Regional Manager North Tekata Toaisi for One Count of Abuse of Office and One Count of Abetting Abuse of Office respectively.
It is alleged that Ravu and Toaisi interfered in a Ministry of Fisheries investigation in the illegal trade of banned species of beche-de-mer.
Resident Magistrate Jeremaia Savou today delivered the ruling in the bail application made by Ravu’s counsel, Lavi Rokoika.
In her application, Ms Rokoika had stated that the particulars of the charge against her client are very bare and do not provide sufficient information to enable him to prepare a defence.
The application also argued that the definition of ‘person employed in the Civil Service’, which is an element of the offence as defined in the Crimes Act 2009 is not supported or in line with the definition of ‘Public Service’, as outlined in the 2013 Constitution.
Magistrate Savou ruled that there is no defect to the charge in its current form as the particulars of the charge provided sufficient information for the Applicant (Ravu) to defend himself.
The Resident Magistrate adds that the resolution of the appearance of a conflict in the interpretation of the term “person employed in the civil service’, as defined in the Crimes Act 2009 as opposed to the definition of ‘public service’ under the Fiji Constitution 2013 and its potential effect at this stage of the proceedings is best left under the auspices of prosecutorial discretion.
The hearing will begin tomorrow.