Suva High Court Judge Justice Priyantha Fernando today refused the application made by the former Permanent Secretary for Infrastructure and Public Utilities Anasa Vocea for separate trials to be conducted on the charges of fraudulent conversion and false declaration.
Vocea made an application for the court not to permit the hearing of the false declaration charges together with fraudulent conversion charges on the grounds that there are no links between the two charges.
It was also submitted that Vocea will be embarrassed by proceedings against him with both sets of charges and that this could be prejudicial to him.
It was also submitted that none of the witnesses in fraudulent conversion charges are giving evidence in relation to false declaration charges.
However, Judge Justice Fernando said the charges can be joined and to prove both the offences it must be proved that Vocea had received the money.
Justice Fernando said if the charges are separated then the witnesses will have to be called twice to give the same evidence.
Vocea is alleged to have converted to personal use directors' fees payment he received as a board member of shipping company the Pacific Forum Line, and which was to be paid to the Ministry of Finance. He is also alleged to have failed to declare that he was receiving director’s fees from the company in his annual tax return.
