Former Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase’s son, Laisenia Qarase Junior, is expected to give evidence in his father’s Fijian Holdings Limited trial.

Defense counsel Tupou Draunidalo confirmed to Justice Priyantha Fernando today that Qarase Junior, who is now residing in the US, is expected to give evidence via skype.

Meanwhile, Draunidalo said former FHL board director Joe Mar could not give his evidence today due to the unavailability of a solicitor.

Mar, who now lives in England, is expected to give evidence via skype tomorrow.

Qarase’s fourth witness Naulumatua Josateki Koroi has now taken the stand.

Koroi, who is a shareholder of Mavana Investments Limited, said the company decided to buy the FHL shares in 1991 to lessen the burden on the people.

He also confirmed that none of the directors of Mavana Investments was paid for their services.

Koroi said Qarase was a director of Mavana Investments.

Upon cross examination by FICAC’s senior counsel Michael Blanchflower, Koroi said he was approached to give evidence on behalf of Qarase two days ago.

Koroi said no other company had invested in Mavana Investments, however, he confirmed that Q-Ten Investments owned shares in Mavana when he was shown the shareholding listing by Blanchflower.

Koroi said that he did not know that it was a limited company, he only knew that it was a family company of Qarase.

According to the documents presented in court by Blanchflower, it has been revealed that Q-Ten Investments had 48,000 shares in Mavana Investments, making it the second largest shareholder in Mavana while Qarase’s wife Leba had 8,000 shares.

It was also confirmed that Mavana Investments had two secretaries in 1999.

They were Laisenia Qarase and his son Qarase Junior.

Mavana Investments had taken a loan from the Fiji Development Bank to purchase 200,000 Class A FHL shares in 1991.

Qarase had applied for the shares.

He was the managing director of FDB and a director of FHL at the time.

Koroi also agreed that Mavana Investments bought shares in FHL because the annual dividend payout of FHL was 20 percent.

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 applied, and then facilitated and allowed the purchase of Class A FHL shares for certain companies when he was director of FHL, financial advisor of the Fijian Affairs Board and advisor to the Great Council of Chiefs.

The case relates to the allotment and issuance of the FHL shares to Cicia Plantation Co-op Society Limited, Mavana Investments Limited and Q-Ten Investments Limited.

Stay with us for coverage on Qarase’s trial.


Story by: Vijay Narayan & Ronal Deo