Former Airports Fiji Limited chief executive officer Sakiusa Tuisolia's application to stay the proceedings of the FICAC case against him was this morning refused by High Court Judge Justice Daniel Gounder.

Tuisolia has been charged with fraudulent conversion, fraudulent falsification of publication and fraudulent falsification of accounts.

Tuisolia's lawyer made an application to stay the case permanently on the grounds of abuse of process such as conduct of prosecution in serving late disclosures, substituting new offence in the information, absence of crucial witness.

The state prosecution in submission told the court that the additional disclosures served later did not change the prosecution case.

The defense also made an application that the trial would not be fair without the evidence of witness, the AFL Manager Finance who has migrated overseas.

The prosecution said they would try to locate him and call him to trial.

The witness is relevant to the defense as they want to question him so that he would be able to inform the court as to who is responsible for assigning the credit card expenses of the applicant under the sundry expenses.

Defense also made the application that FICAC has brought the charges against him in an inappropriate forum and with improper motives and that any dispute between Tuisolia and his former employer can be solved without invoking the jurisdiction of criminal courts.

Judge Gounder disagreed and refused the application.

The trial proper will start on 4th July while a pretrial conference will be held on 24th May.