The trial for five people charged in relation to an alleged scam which involved a businessman and four former workers of the then Department of National Roads involving more than $3 million dollars started yesterday.
Businessman Feroz Jan Mohammed and former civil servants Iliesa Turagacati and Navitalai Tamani-toa-kula are charged with Bribery, Obtaining a Financial Advantage and Abuse of Office.
Former civil servant Aisea Liwa-i-ono has been charged with two counts of Causing a Loss and Vijay Prasad has been charged with one count of Causing a Loss.
The five accused appeared before Justice Paul Madigan.
The first witness, Mukesh Chand a senior technical officer of TF Jan Bulldozing Company Limited took the stand yesterday.
He told the court that he was a Project Coordinator of TF Jan Bulldozing Company Limited when they were given the contracts for the upgrading of the Nausori Highland road by the Department of National Roads.
Chand told the court that there was a briefing on the contracts and the payments.
Chand also told the court that he and the Divisional Roads Engineer Western, Peni Tuinono signed on the documents.
The trial will continue today.
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