Court allows Tikoca’s lawyer to serve subpoena to Ratu Inoke

The Suva Magistrates Court has allowed the lawyer of suspended parliamentarian Ratu Isoa Tikoca to serve a subpoena to the Minister for Defence and Immigration Ratu Inoke Kubuabola.

Tikoca’s lawyer Kitione Vuetaki will now serve a subpoena to allow Ratu Inoke Kubuabola to give evidence for Ratu Isoa Tikoca.

FICAC Lawyer Rashmi Aslam did not have objections to the third order hence the defence filed to serve a subpoena.

Three motions were filed in Court on 21st December last year by the Defense.

The first was for written reasons be given as to why the Magistrate presiding over this case directed that the Subpoena against Ratu Inoke Kubuabola be rejected by the Magistrate Court Criminal Registry and not issued.

The second motion was that if the reasons are that the learned Magistrate presiding over this case fears or favors Ratu Inoke Kubuabola or the present Government then the Magistrate should recuse herself from further presiding over this case.

And the third motion was that the Magistrate presiding over this case direct the Magistrate Court Criminal Registry in Suva to allow the issuance of a subpoena that Ratu Inoke Kubuabola give evidence on behalf of the accused in this case.

The presiding Magistrate is Makereta Mua.

The matter has now been adjourned to next Monday.

It is alleged that Tikoca failed to declare the liability and the amount of the liability to the Registrar and 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.