5 Mar 2008

Nine men charged with plotting to kill Fiji's interim prime minister remain on bail

9:03 am on 5 March 2008

An application by the State to deny bail to nine men charged with plotting to kill Fiji's interim Prime Minister has been rejected by the High Court in Suva.

Fiji Live online said the nine appeared before Justice Daniel Goundar yesterday.

Justice Goundar told the Court there is no doubt that a threat to national security and the need to preserve public order can justify continued detention of an accused.

However, he ruled, there should be a real possibility of the threat to national security and public order. before the courts will encroach into the presumption of innocence and personal liberty of an accused.

He said obviously there has not been any change to the level of threat to national security since the accused were first charged.

The court added that since the granting of bail, the accused have strictly obeyed their bail conditions.

The men have been granted fresh bail on the same terms and conditions imposed by the Magistrates' Court.