FICAC transfers Charlie Charters case to Police

Charlie Charters' criminal case has been transferred to the Fiji Police Force after the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) identified two former officers allegedly linked to the release of internal Commission information.

The matter was called before Suva Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne today for a pre-trial conference, where FICAC successfully applied to amend the charges against Charters to include the identities of the two former officers allegedly relevant to the case.

FICAC told the court the amendments were necessary to ensure the charges complied with the law and fairly disclosed the case Charters was required to answer.

The Commission also applied to transfer the matter under Section 13F of the FICAC Act, citing the need to maintain independence and avoid any perception of a conflict of interest because of the alleged involvement of former officers.

The court granted both the amendment and transfer applications.

FICAC also confirmed it had provided further disclosure to the defence, including material relating to the extraction of data from Charters' mobile phone.

Charters' lawyer, Mr Seforan Fatiaki, did not object to the applications but noted the issues could have been addressed earlier.

Any decision on whether the two former FICAC officers will face charges will now be considered by the Fiji Police Force.

The matter has been adjourned to July 29, 2026, for mention. Bail was extended.