The trial of former Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and suspended Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho begins today in Suva.
They are accused of obstructing a police investigation initiated by the University of the South Pacific in July 2019, which had lodged a complaint regarding the activities of former university staff members.
Bainimarama, who led Fiji from 2006 until last year when his FijiFirst party lost Fiji’s 2022 General Elections, is facing a single count of attempting to pervert the course of justice, while Qiliho stands accused of abuse of office. Both defendants have maintained their innocence and pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.
Representing Bainimarama and Qiliho in this trial are R Patel lawyers Devanesh Sharma and Gul Fatima.
The trial is expected to continue through Thursday this week, and is likely to resume in early August.
