Freesoul pleads not guilty

FREESOUL Real Estate Development (Fiji) Pte Ltd has pleaded not guilty to undertaking unauthorised developments on the Malolo Island in the Mamanuca Group earlier this year.

Appearing before Magistrate Peni Dalituicama in Nadi yesterday, development project officer Saula Sovanivalu pleaded not guilty to one count of undertaking unauthorised developments and one count of failure to comply with a prohibition notice under the Environment Management Act 2005.

Mr Sovanivalu was represented by lawyer David Toganivalu.

State lawyer Kiran Nair informed the court that final disclosures had been served to all parties and a trial date has been set for December 17.

Under the Environment Management Act 2005, if convicted, the company and its directors face fines of up to $750,000 or a term of imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both.

According to the Environment Department, the property developer was constructing a resort on Malolo Island and allegedly violated its terms of development in the process.

The department’s involvement with the Malolo Island project began on June 15, 2017, when the company lodged its environmental impact assessment screening application with the intent to build a new resort.

The department said as a condition of the approval, the company was given a number of very stringent conditions to fulfil before works were to begin on site, and all foreshore development works were not permitted.