It will be decided in the Suva Magistrates Court today whether the prosecution can produce its next witness in Ratu Isoa Tikoca’s trial.
FICAC Senior Counsel Rashmi Aslam has told the court that they want to produce Fonua Jioji who was an accounts officer for Fiji’s High Commission in PNG between 2006 and 2009 to verify an unsigned letter.
Defense counsel, Kitione Vuetaki objected to this suggestion.
The court will decide on this matter today after the third defense witness, Asenaca Tikoca finishes giving her evidence.
Aslam had previously revealed in the court that Tikoca had sent an unsigned letter through e mail, fax and postal to the Auditor General’s office stating reasons why he did not pay his debt.
Tikoca has denied in court that he wrote that particular letter because it is unsigned.
Meanwhile, the third defense witness - Asenaca Tikoca has told the Suva Magistrates Court that the sourced documents given to FICAC from Auditor General’s office are not correct.
Asenaca who is Ratu Isoa Tikoca’s accountant, verified and showed the court through some documents as to how she got the difference and how Tikoca overpaid the government.
She told the court that according to her calculation the total amount paid by Tikoca was $23,739 whereas his liability was only $19,303.
Tikoca is charged with failure to declare his liabilities contrary to section 24 of the Political Parties Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures Decree.
It is alleged that Tikoca failed to declare the liability and the amount of the liability to the Registrar, the Permanent Secretary responsible for Elections that he had incurred to the Government of Fiji during his tenure as Fiji’s High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea.
The trial will continue today.
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