30 Jul 2012

Assessors recommend ousted Fijian PM be found guilty

7:12 pm on 30 July 2012

Assessors in the trial of Fiji's ousted prime minister Laisenia Qarase have recommended he be found guilty on all counts in the fraud-related case against him at the High Court in Suva.

Mr Qarase, who is a former director of Fijian Holdings Limited, was charged with six counts of abuse of office and three counts of discharge of duty with respect to a property in which he has a private interest.

Fiji media reports Justice Priyantha Fernando will deliver his judgement on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, After meeting with Fiji's interim foreign minister, Australia and New Zealand have agreed to look at further exemptions to the travel ban on a case-by-case basis.

Ratu Inoke Kubuabola met with his Australian counterpart, Bob Carr, and New Zealand's foreign minister Murray McCully in Sydney on Monday afternoon.