Whippy granted knee surgery

Carpenters Fiji Limited’s managing director, Daniel Whippy, has been granted bail variation to travel to Chennai, India for a knee surgery.

Whippy had appeared alongside co-accused former National Fire Authority (NFA) chief executive officer John Masi O’Connor, before Magistrate Sufia Hamza at the Suva Magistrate’s Court yesterday for charges of abuse of office.

Whippy’s lawyer, Suruj Sharma had made an earlier application to have a stem cell procedure for his client in the United States of America.

However, because of backlog of data and other issues, they’ve had to make another application for a knee surgery in India.

Mr Sharma told the court that a new application was submitted to the Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption and that he was set for departure to India on January 30.

He said he would need another two weeks post-surgery recovery.

He is set to return on March 2.

FICAC lawyer Lavinia Ravuikadavu, made no objection.

Meanwhile, O’Connor pleaded not guilty to his charge of abuse of office. He is alleged to have directed his officers to amend the findings on the Fire Investigation Report which occurred on April 8, 2018, at the Morris Hedstrom warehouse located at Walu Bay for the purpose of gain.

The alleged incident happened between January 1 and September 28, 2018.

Whippy is charged with one count of counseling the commission of the offense after allegedly counselling O’ Connor for the commissioning of the same offence.

Magistrate Hamza has adjourned the matter to March 3 for Whippy’s return to court.

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