Former Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and former Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho appeared in the Court of Appeal today, where their legal counsel filed two motions following their sentencing earlier this year for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Under prison officers’ guard, Bainimarama, 69, and Qiliho, 54, arrived at the courthouse in Veiuto this morning. Their counsel, Gul Fatima, submitted two motions – one is for bail pending appeal, and the second motion calls for a stay of their sentences and an additional order to be added to the notice of appeal against conviction.
Bainimarama and Qiliho were sentenced on May 9, after being found guilty of interfering in an investigation concerning the University of the South Pacific (USP). Bainimarama received a one-year sentence, while Qiliho was sentenced to two years.
The first motion, for bail pending appeal was filed in June. The other, was for a stay on sentencing when the state appealed Magistrate Seini Puamau’s sentence to the High Court. The defendant’s counsel had asked the high court to stay sentencing while their appeal against conviction was pending in the Court of Appeal. This motion was filed in April before sentencing. The motion, filed today seeks to add another ground in their appeal against conviction.
Their lawyer and the states’, represented by Acting DPP Nancy Tikoisuva in today’s sitting, are expected to file affidavits and submissions within the first week of next month. The case is scheduled for mention on December 3 during which the court is likely to fix hearing dates.
