Tikoca asked if he was pushing the blame to another person

Suspended Parliamentarian Ratu Isoa Tikoca was asked in the Suva Magistrates Court this morning if he is trying to push the blame of his mistakes on another person.

Tikoca is charged with failure to declare his liabilities contrary to section 24 of the Political Parties Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures Decree.

FICAC’s Senior Counsel Rashmi Aslam asked Tikoca if he is trying to push the blame on his once loyal accounts officer at the Fiji High Commission in PNG Fonua Jioji.

Tikoca said he disagrees with this.

Aslam then asked Tikoca if he was pushing the blame to cover his own mistakes of violating the law.

Tikoca responded by saying that he has paid his dues.

Tikoca also told the court that there were administrative problems, both in PNG and the Ministry of Finance at the time.

The Suspended parliamentarian also disagreed in court that he knew about the debt which he owed the government at the time he was nominated for the 2014 general elections.

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 continues this afternoon.