Former SODELPA MP Salote Radrodro in court earlier today.

Salote Radrodro’s lawyer, Simione Valenitabua, has filed an application for a motion in arrest of judgement in the Anti-Corruption Division High Court this morning.

A motion in arrest of judgment is a post-trial motion to quash a defendant’s indictment or information.

The motion cannot be used to challenge the sufficiency of the evidence at the defendant’s trial.

It may only be used to challenge the legal sufficiency of a trial court’s judgment.

Valenitabua says they are making two arguments in this application.

Salote Radrodro and Lawyer Simione Valenitabua outside court earlier today.

He alleges that the court has no power to trial the matter, saying these are summary offences.

He adds that his client is also immune to prosecution under parliamentary privileges, adding that this application can only be made after the trial.

The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption was ready to argue the application when Valenitabua said they wanted to make a written submission.

He says it is not their intention to delay the sentencing; however, they want to exhaust all avenues provided by law.

Salote Radrodro was in court earlier today. 

The presiding judge says the court should be given the discretion to see the application.

The court will hear this application before Radrodro is sentenced next Wednesday.

He says the court will inform the counsels of the date when this application will be heard.

The former SODELPA MP has been convicted of one count of giving false information to a public servant and one count of obtaining a financial advantage.

She has been found guilty of breaching the Parliamentary Remuneration Act of 2014 whereby she falsely stated that her permanent residence was in Namulomulo village, Nabouwalu, Bua, and stole $37,920 between August 2019 and April 2020.