FICAC To Go Through 157 Disclosures
O’Connor is charged with one count of abuse of office for gain while Whippy is charged with one count for counselling the commission about the offence.
Friday 12 April 2024 | 14:10
Former National Fire Authority chief executive officer, John O’Connor and Carpenters Finance Ltd’s managing director, Daniel Whippy.
The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) has asked the Magistrate Court for three months to go through the disclosures.
About 157 documents pertaining to the corruption charges against former National Fire Authority (NFA) chief executive officer, John O’Connor and Carpenters Finance Ltd’s managing director, Daniel Whippy, were served by FICAC at the Suva Magistrate’s Court on April 10.
The duo appeared before Magistrate Seini Puamau yesterday.
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O’Connor is charged with one count of abuse of office for gain while Whippy is charged with one count for counselling the commission about the offence.
It is alleged that between January 1 and September 28, 2018, in Suva, O’Connor, while being employed as the chairman of the NFA board, directed his officers to amend the findings of the Fire Investigation Report.
This alleged incident (fire) occurred on April 8 at the Morris Hedstrom warehouse at Walu Bay, Suva.
Meanwhile, Whippy, while being the director of WR Carpenters (South Pacific) PTE Ltd, about the same time allegedly counselled O’Connor for the commissioning of the offence.
During the proceeding, Magistrate Puamau questioned the disclosures served by FICAC and said: “There seemed to be a disconnection between the charges and the volume of evidence provided.”
She said she was worried the series of offences were rolled in one.
FICAC lawyer Sera Fatafei, in response, said it’s not that there was a disconnection; however, the documents consisted of multiple communications between the two men that prompted the need for more time to go through them.
O’Connor’s new lawyer, Roylesh Nand, and Whippy’s lawyer, Suruj Sharma requested for the same duration to go over the disclosures.
Magistrate Puamau lifted the stop departure order against Whippy, and allowed him to travel outside the country.
His passport will be released on May 1, a day before he travels.
He is scheduled to return on May 6 and have his passport returned to the Magistrate Court Registry the following day, May 7.
Magistrate Puamau adjourned the matter to June 7 for mention while the plea date has been set for October 17.
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