Millions frozen as FICAC targets assets of former HEC chairman

The High Court in Suva has frozen more than $1.3 million in a bank account and stopped the transfer of a property worth about $3.6 million after finding reasonable grounds to suspect the assets are linked to alleged criminal offending being investigated by FICAC.

The orders were made by Acting Puisne Judge Justice Penijamini Lomaloma following an application by Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC).

The property is owned by former Higher Education Commission chairman and interim director Stephen Chand, who is the first respondent in the case.

In his ruling, Justice Lomaloma said FICAC had met the legal threshold for the restraining orders by showing reasonable grounds to suspect the property was tainted. He also found there was evidence of the alleged offending and a sufficient link between Mr Chand and the property.

The court was told the property had already been sold and the sale proceeds were first deposited into Mr Chand’s Bred Bank account before being transferred to an account held by his wife, Raijieli Chand, the second respondent.

According to the ruling, part of the sale proceeds was deposited into Mr Chand’s account on May 19 this year. The court also noted that more than $1.3 million was withdrawn from that account on May 25 and transferred into Ms Chand’s account.

Justice Lomaloma ordered the Registrar of Titles not to register the transfer of the property or allow any further dealings with it until further orders of the court.

The court also directed Bred Bank to immediately freeze Ms Chand’s bank account and provide FICAC with relevant bank statements from May 19.

Mr and Ms Chand have been granted 21 days to appeal the decision.