Court rejects drug accused's travel bid

The Suva Magistrates Court has rejected an application by drug accused Thakor Punja to travel to Australia for medical treatment, ruling that the care he requires can be provided in Fiji.

Punja, who faces three charges of unlawful possession of illicit drugs, appeared before Magistrate Yogesh Prasad yesterday. He sought permission to travel overseas, saying he needed urgent treatment for back injuries sustained in a road accident in April last year.

In his application, Punja told the court he continued to suffer pain and claimed there were no visiting neurosurgeons scheduled to come to Fiji this year. He also argued that he was not a flight risk, saying he had family and business ties in Fiji and would comply with any conditions imposed by the court.

However, the State opposed the application, relying on medical evidence that his condition was not life-threatening and could be managed locally.

In delivering his ruling, Magistrate Prasad said there was no evidence of an immediate medical emergency.

He accepted the medical evidence that Punja's condition was not life-threatening and found that travelling to Australia for treatment was "not essential, necessary or imperative."

The application to vary Punja's bail to allow overseas travel was therefore denied.

The matter has been adjourned to July 25 for further proceedings.