24 Aug 2010

Fiji's Chaudhry gets more time in tax evasion case

4:58 pm on 24 August 2010

The leader of Fiji's Labour Party, Mahendra Chaudhry, has been given more time to gather support for his application seeking a different judge to preside over his money laundering and tax evasion case.

Last month, his son, who is also his lawyer, entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of his father in the Suva High Court and made an application for bail variation, saying Mr Chaudhry needed to travel overseas for medical treatment.

Justice Daniel Goundar was set to rule on the bail application but the Director of Public Prosecutions lawyer, Aca Rayawa, has told the judge that an application had been filed for the case to be heard by a judge who wasn't a resident of Fiji.

Mr Chaudhry was arrested by Fiji police last month and charged with 12 offences relating to tax evasion and money laundering, which date back to just after the coup.