Three of the 27 Methodist Church Ministers and executives charged with allegedly breaching the Public Emergency Regulation have been given permission by the Suva Magistrates Court to travel to New Caledonia tomorrow.

The 27 Methodist Church Ministers and executives appeared before Suva Magistrate Irani Arachachi this morning where lawyer for Livai Tuisaravere, Epineri Vakadewavosa and Leba Laveti, Filimoni Vosarogo made an application for bail variation to allow his clients to attend a conference in New Caledonia tomorrow.

Magistrate Arachachi granted the variation and ordered that the travel documents be released to allow the three Church Ministers to travel abroad to be back in time before the next court sitting.

Lawyer representing Reverend William Lucus, Dhirendra Prasad then raised concerns that the pastors and executives of the Church are being made to go from court to court as there is no single magistrate assigned to the case.

Prasad stressed that the accused persons have special duties to attend to and running from one court to another is time consuming.

Magistrate Arachachi has adjourned the case to June 15th when a hearing date is expected to be set.

The 27 Church Ministers and Executives are charged with allegedly organising a meeting in contravention of the Public Emergency Regulation and participating in a meeting in contravention of the PER.

It was earlier alleged that the Church executives planned to go ahead with the Annual Methodist Church conference in Lomanikoro in Rewa despite a directive from the Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama that there will be no meeting.