The Suva Magistrate Court has transferred the case of Activist Imrana Jalal to the High court, this afternoon.
Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption Lawyer, Madhava Tennakoon had asked Magistrate Thusara Rajasinghe, for the matter to be transferred to the High Court, so that FICAC could amalgamate the charges against Jalal with that of her husband, Sakiusa Tuisolia as they were facing similar charges.
Jalal is charged with seven counts of operating a restaurant without a license, failing to display a license, disobedience of lawful order and operating a food establishment without a license.
Magistrate Rajasinghe this afternoon said that he is satisfied with the request made by FICAC lawyer for the matter to be transferred to High Court. He also said that he is stopping all the proceedings and transferring the matter to High Court for next Tuesday.
Jalal's lawyer Devinesh Sharma did not object to this, however he did mention that his client would like to travel abroad. On this Magistrate Rajasinghe said that Jalal will have to provide the details of her travel to the High Court and to let the court deal with it.
Earlier on...
A decision is expected to be made this afternoon on whether the case between FICAC and activist Imrana Jalal will be transferred to the High Court.
This is after a request by FICAC Lawyer, Madhava Tennakoon to Magistrate Thusara Rajasinghe, that the matter be transferred to the High Court so that FICAC could amalgamate the charges against Jalal with that of her husband, Sakiusa Tuisolia as they were facing similar charges.
However, Jalal's lawyer Devinesh Sharma objected to the application saying that he was not informed beforehand that a request would be made for a High Court transfer.
Sharma also questioned whether FICAC had the right to try the matter in the High Court as the charges brought against his client were regulatory offences dealt with by the Suva City Council, and under the Public Health Regulations, the matter could only be heard in the Magistrates Court, and only a public Prosecutor could handle the case.
Meanhwile, Tennakoon said that FICAC is empowered under new regulations to prosecute a case as public prosecutors and adds that it would be a waste of time and money of the court if Jalal's case was heard in the Magistrates Court and her husband's case of the same nature was heard in the High Court.
