Suva Magistrate Jioji Boseiwaqa will hand down his judgement in SODELPA Leader Sitiveni Rabuka’s trial at 10.30am next Friday.
While making FICAC’s closing submission in the last hour, FICAC Senior Counsel Rashmi Aslam said that Rabuka is an office holder and the leader of SODELPA.
Aslam said that Rabuka said in the caution interview that he saw it as an unfortunate accident, and Rabuka said that he just didn’t feel that he needed to do that.
Aslam said that the court should not just allow someone to rock up and say it was an oversight. He says everyone can say it was an oversight and that should not be entertained.
Rabuka’s lawyer Ian Lloyd said there is no dispute that the items were ommitted. Lloyd says the charge Rabuka is facing has major weaknesses.
Lloyd says the prosecution has failed to prove that SODELPA is a registered party and there is no proof of Rabuka being an elected office holder.
He also says that the amended constitution of SODELPA does not mention Rabuka at all.
Lloyd says Rabuka was asked if he wanted to be interviewed and he happily went along for the caution interview but the prosecution sees that as suspicious because he brought files showing his financial records to the interview.
Rabuka’s lawyer says Rabuka was a soldier and wasn’t an accountant.
Rabuka is charged by FICAC in relation to the declaration of his assets and liabilities as required under the Political Parties Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures Act.
It is alleged that Rabuka made a false declaration of assets and liabilities to the Supervisor of Elections by failing to provide information namely, the tax liability with Fiji Revenue and Customs Service in the amount of $316,956, the investment and interest income with Raghwan Construction Limited in the amount of $200,000 and $16,000 respectively and the liability with Raghwan Construction in the amount of $120,000, contrary to the Political Parties Act.
The alleged incident occurred on the 29th of December last year.
In the second case, he was charged with allegedly breaching bail conditions in his case.
It is alleged that Rabuka spoke to a FICAC witness in the case.
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