ODPP gets time to advise on availability of complainant

Chief Magistrate Usaia Ratuvili has given time to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to advise the court on the availability of a first complainant for an indecent assault trial.

This is in the case of former chief executive officer for Fijian Holdings Limited, Mohammed Nouzab Fareed, widely known as Nouzab Fareed.

Fareed is charged with three counts of indecent assault. Fareed’s presence in court was excused by the Chief Magistrate as his counsel Hemendra Nagin from Sherani and Co had requested for on the last occasion.

For the first two counts of indecent assault, this is in relation to the first complainant who alleged that Fareed committed the offence on two separate occasions in the months of June and September, 2019.

The third count of indecent assault is in relation to the second complainant who alleged that Fareed committed the offence in May, 2019. The trial is set to be heard from December 1 to December 4 this year.

Prosecutor from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Kimberly Semisi told the court that the complainant was in South Korea and was liaising with the airlines to check on the flight details to come back to Fiji. She had sought for time from the court to advice on the same as well as served the defence with the proposed admitted facts of the case.

Upon Chief Magistrate Ratuvili granting time to the State, Mr Naagin had made a request for Fareed’s bail to be extended and his presence on the next court date to be excused.

The matter will be recalled for a pre-trial conference on October 8. Fareed’s presence for next court date is excused and his bail is extended till December 1.