Former Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica outside court today. [PHOTO:NIKHIL KUMAR]

The Suva Magistrate Court will proceed with the former Deputy Prime Minister’s trial tomorrow after the Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption sought leave to file amended charges.

Manoa Kamikamica is charged with perjury and giving false information to a public servant and he is represented by senior Suva lawyer Wylie Clarke.

FICAC Prosecution Josann Pene told the court that they received fresh information this morning and sought to file the amendments.

Defence counsel strongly objected to this stating that they have come prepared for trial and they were not informed of this prior.

Magistrate Charles Ratakele stood the matter down for 45 minutes to make a decision on the amendments.

Thereafter, he noted that by law the amendments were sought within the timeframe and therefore the leave was granted for the amended charges to be filed.

The amended information was read out to Kamikamica and his lawyer sought time until tomorrow to advise him on his plea.

FICAC has sought 14 days to prepare the amended disclosure however, Clarke told the court they are ready to begin with trial.

The three day trial was to begin this morning.

In this matter, it is alleged that between December 2024 to 31 March 2025 Kamikamica being lawfully sworn as a witness in a judicial proceeding namely a Commission of

Inquiry into the appointment of the FICAC Commissioner, wilfully made a material statement on oath, namely, that he had no knowledge of the appointment of the FICAC

Commissioner prior to her appointment dated  September 5 2024.

While in the alternative count false information to public servant Kamikamica allegedly between  December 1 2024 to  March 31  2025 at Suva in the Central Division, being lawfully sworn as a witness in a judicial proceeding namely a Commission of Inquiry into the appointment of the FICAC Commissioner, gave to the a Commissioner of Inquiry (being person employed in the civil service) information he knew or believed to be false, namely that he had no knowledge of the appointment of the FICAC Commissioner prior to her appointment dated  September 5 2024.