ODPP to appeal Qiliho's acquittal
The prosecution is expected to argue that, in the absence of a revocation clause, the Presidential appointment remained valid.
Sunday 05 October 2025 | 23:30
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is set to file an appeal against the acquittal of former Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho.
Mr Qiliho was acquitted by the High Court in Suva last Thursday after the court ruled that the State failed to prove his role as Police Commissioner had resumed following the end of then Acting Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu’s term on August 5, 2021.
High Court Judge Justice Thushara Rajasinghe accepted Mr Qiliho’s account that Mr Tudravu’s acting role ended the moment he (Qiliho) returned to the country.
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The State’s appeal is expected to focus on a legal issue surrounding Mr Tudravu’s acting appointment, which was endorsed by then President Jioji Konrote.
The prosecution is expected to argue that, in the absence of a revocation clause, the Presidential appointment remained valid — and that the High Court’s judgment redefines this by ruling that the return of the substantive officeholder effectively revoked the acting appointment.
