[File Photo]

A witness in the case against Opposition MP Ratu Suliano Matanitobua has informed the court that the MP noted his residential address as Veivatuloa in Namosi.

Josephine Kumar, an operations officer at the Fijian Elections Office says that Ratu Suliano initially stated Veivatuloa as his address when he was registering as a voter on July 2nd, 2012.

However, he amended this information when he updated his voter card on November 30th, 2021 where he noted Veivatuloa in the Namosi province as his residential address.

Ratu Suliano is charged with one count of giving false information to a public servant and one count of obtaining a financial advantage.

He allegedly falsely stated that his permanent place of residence was Namosi Village, in Namosi.

Ratu Suliano then allegedly obtained over $38,300 between August 2019 and April 2020.

In the case of his wife Adi Akenata Matanitobua, she noted her residential address initially in 2012 as Veivatuloa village in Namosi and last year when she updated her voter card, the FEO system recorded her address as Veivatuloa in Navua.

Kumar says the clerk who filtered the form in the system committed an error when she was updating Adi Akenata’s information.

Ratu Suliano and his wife’s polling venue is Veivatuloa village school.

The second witness from FEO informed the court that the MP has four types of income and he owns two vehicles and a house.

Mesake Dawai, a compliance officer at FEO says Ratu Suliano’s home is situated at Veivatuloa village in Namosi.

He says Ratu Suliano’s wages and allowances are from parliament.

Dawai adds that the MP stated Veivatuloa village as his residential address.

The trial hearing continues in the Anti-Corruption Court in Suva before High Court judge Justice Thushara Kumarage.