Former chief executive officer for Fijian Holdings Limited, Mohammed Nouzab Fareed, widely known as Nouzab Fareed,  will take his plea on April 15.

His lawyer, Hemendra Nagin from Sherani and Co., sought a six-week adjournment for plea because he wished to make representations to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Fareed is charged with three counts of indecent assault. He appeared before the Chief Magistrate Usaia Ratuvili at the Magistrates Court in Suva yesterday.

However, due to the application for adjournment made by the defence, Chief Magistrate has deferred Fareed’s plea to April 15.

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.

Mr Nagin also made an application for bail variation seeking if the reporting conditions for Fareed could be cancelled.

He highlighted to the court that at the stage, Fareed was reporting to Samabula Police Station every Saturday between 8am and 6pm.

Chief Magistrate Ratuvili said the bail conditions were varied and gave new reporting condition to Fareed.

He ordered Fareed to report to the Samabula Police Station every last Saturday of the month between 8am and 6pm, starting on March 28 henceforth.

Bail for Fareed has been further extended.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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