Labour Leader charged

[posted 23 July 2010, 1600]

Fiji Labour Party Leader, Mahendra Chaudhry, appeared in the Suva Magistrates Court this afternoon charged with alleged offences under the Penal Code, Exchange Control Act, and Proceeds of Crime Act.

The substance of the matters constituting the charges were earlier canvassed under an independent enquiry on Mr Chaudhry’s tax matters, instituted by the interim government in March 2008.

The three-member inquiry team headed by Bruce Cowley from the Brisbane based law firm of Minter-Ellison, had found no evidence of violation of Fiji’s tax laws by Mr Chaudhry.

This afternoon the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Aca Rayawa applied for a transfer of proceedings to the High Court and this application was granted by Magistrate Pamila Ratnayake. He will now appear in Suva High Court on Friday 30th July 2010.

The Fiji Labour Party would like to correct media misreporting of events that led to Mr Chaudhry’s appearance in Court this afternoon.

There had been no overnight detention by either the military or the Police on Wednesday as reported by Radio Fiji and certain overseas media. On both days (22/07/10 and 23/07/10), Mr Chaudhry attended the CID office of his own volition.