Former Prime Minister, Laisenia Qarase who is now serving a 12 month sentence is expected to appear in court today for the Native Land Trust Board trial with former General Manager, Kalivati Bakani and former NLTB director and Chairman of Vanua Development Corporation, Keni Dakuidreketi.
Qarase, Bakani and Dakuidreketi will appear in the Suva High Court for the pretrial conference which commences before Justice Priyantha Fernando this morning.
In this case, it is alleged that the three conspired to transfer ownership and control of the extinct mataqali funds in 2002 without proper approvals of the NLTB and the Fijian Affairs Board.
It is also alleged that Bakani and Dakuidreketi fraudulently converted the $1 million government grant into operational costs on the 10th of November 2005 for the implementation and maintenance of the MYSAP system.
In the last sitting for this case, Queens Counsels Brian Keene and Maria Cole represented Dakuidreketi, Filimoni Vosarogo represented Bakani and Qoriniasi Bale represented Qarase.
The three have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
We will have more on the charges and the pretrial later today.
Story by: Vijay Narayan
