Nikhil Aiyush Kumar 
Former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and former Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem.
The trial of former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and former Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem is nearing its close, as the state concluded witness testimonies today.
Fijian Elections Office Manager Legal, Mesake Dawai, told the court he initially believed Saneem acted in bad faith when he requested the first Deed of Variation to be returned after a confrontation with the financial controller.
Dawai admitted he had some misconceptions during his earlier review of the matter, as certain documents were missing from Saneem’s file. He said the FEO referred the case to police because only they had investigative powers under the Crimes Act.
When questioned by defense lawyer Devanesh Sharma, Dawai confirmed that tax payments were deducted from Saneem’s salary, not paid by government. He also agreed that Saneem had allowed all parties to properly comply with electoral laws, that the FEO dealt with everyone on a level playing field, and that there was no undue influence.
Under re-examination, Dawai said Saneem abused his authority by asking for certain documents to be returned. He also confirmed that FEO funds came from government through the Ministry of Finance’s Consolidated Fund.
Chief Justice Salesi Temo reminded Dawai not to take the matter personally, stressing that, as a matter of prudence, all relevant documents should have been properly kept in Saneem’s personal file.
The state has now closed its witness evidence and will formally close its case on Monday once remaining documents are tendered. The defense has also sought time until Monday due to commitments in another case.
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