The pre-trial conference of former Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase will begin in the High Court today.

The pre-trial conference will be heard before Justice Daniel Goundar and the trial proper is expected to start on the 31st of this month.

Qarase is charged with six counts of abuse of office and three counts of discharge of duty with respect to property in which he has a private interest.

It is alleged that Qarase in or about March to May 1992 being employed as a director of Fijian Holdings Limited, financial advisor of the Fijian Affairs Board and advisor to the Great Council of Chiefs, and in abuse of the authority of his office, did an arbitrary act, in that he applied in the name of a Qarase family company, Q-Ten Investments Limited for the issuance and allotment of Class A shares in FHL.

It is also alleged that he facilitated the approval of the issuance of the Class A shares to Q-Ten Investments.

It is alleged that Qarase did the same for Cicia Plantation Co-op Society Limited and Mavana Investments Limited.

The charges taken up by FICAC allege that Qarase allocated and approved the Class A shares of Fijian Holdings, for the purpose of gain, to benefit and give an unfair advantage to the shareholders of Q-Ten, Cicia Co-op and Mavana Investments, which is an act pre-judicial to the rights of the Provincial and Tikina Councils, the FAB and all other eligible indigenous Fijian people.

It is also alleged that he did not disclose his interest with the companies involved to FHL, FAB or the GCC.


Story by: Vijay Narayan