Supreme Court to decide fate of overturned cocaine conviction

The Supreme Court will hear the State's appeal in the long-running cocaine case involving Fiji-Canadian national Joshua Aziz Rahman on August 6.

The hearing date was confirmed in the High Court in Suva this morning before Justice Thushara Rajasinghe after both the prosecution and defence told the court that proceedings would move ahead.

Rahman was convicted in 2021 after police discovered 39.5 kilograms of cocaine during a search of his Caubati home in Nasinu in 2019.

The drugs were found in a bedroom used by his father, who was overseas at the time of the search.

Following his conviction, Rahman was sentenced to 23 years' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 14 years.

However, the Court of Appeal later quashed the conviction, prompting the State to lodge an appeal in the Supreme Court seeking to have the guilty verdict reinstated.

Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Meli Vosawale appeared for the State, while Devanesh Sharma represented Rahman.

Rahman's bail was extended pending the outcome of the Supreme Court proceedings.

The August 6 hearing is expected to determine whether the Court of Appeal's decision to overturn the conviction will stand.