The trial of two former officials of the Ministry of Fisheries in 2003, Permanent Secretary, Vuetasau Buatoka and the Director Fisheries Maciu Lagibalavu, continued in the Suva High court today as the State and Defense counsel made their closing submissions.

DPP lawyer David Moters today stressed to the accesses that the two officials had acted outside the powers vested upon them in allowing Saheb Holdings Limited a dispensation period to renew its fishing licenses.

Moters also highlighted evidence presented in court where it was alleged that Buatoka had directed a licensing officer to lie low on the matter when he had started enquiring why Saheb Holdings did not have valid licenses to fish.

Buatoko's lawyer Iqbal Khan in his closing submissions told the accesses that the prosecution had failed to prove the accusations made on the two fisheries officers as they failed to present the court with a key witness in the case, Farukh Saheb, the Director of Saheb Holdings Limited.

Khan also questioned why the Public Service Commission didn’t deal with the two if they had breached the code of conduct of their duties. He also said that Saheb Holdings was operating since 1992 and Buatoka had just tried to help the company to continue fishing as it employed locals.

The case has been adjourned till tomorrow for Judge Justice Gerad Winter to sum up the case.