Bail reversed for Cyprus nationals
Awarrant is currently in place for the arrest of foreign national Cleanthis Petridis, 46, by Interpol in the Republic of Cyprus.
This was revealed by High Court in Suva judge Justice Daniel Goundar yesterday while delivering his ruling to reverse the accused person’s bail.
Petridis is charged alongside coaccused Loizos Petridis, 42, for 293 counts of money laundering. The two men were arrested by Police on December 19, 2017 and were released on bail in the Magistrates Court in Suva on February 23, 2018.
Subsequently Prosecution advanced an appeal against their bail on the grounds that the learned Magistrate erred in failing to properly consider that the two men were foreigners and that they did not have any community or family ties in Fiji.
They also submitted that the Magistrate did not properly consider the strength of the Prosecution’s case and the high prison sentence which could be imposed if they were convicted.
The court heard that the Police had paper trail evidence against them and an eye witness account which led to their arrest.
In his bail ruling, the Magistrate said the two men were not flight risks.
Justice Goundar said the Magistrate may have inferred the same after he found no evidence of absconding bail by the two accused men. He said the Magistrate made an error of law when he did not accept the Investigating Officer’s affidavit about the arrest warrant from Interpol.
Justice Goundar said the men had no employment or family ties here and the prosecution’s case against them was strong. The two men have been remanded in custody and their case will be called again in the Magistrates Court on April 20, 2018. They were represented by defence lawyer Mathew Young while Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) lawyer Saif Shah appeared for the Prosecution.