A former investigator from the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption has told the Suva High Court that a tender waiver request for health laboratory equipment was initially rejected before later being approved.

Alifereti Wakanivesi, who served as a FICAC investigation officer for 15 years, gave evidence today as the second state witness in the trial involving former senior government officials over health equipment procurement from 2011.

Wakanivesi told the court he was responsible for investigating allegations of breaches in the procurement process relating to health laboratory equipment during the tenure of former Health Minister Dr Neil Sharma.

He said a presentation outlining the investigation findings was prepared for former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.

However, Wakanivesi testified that he was only present when the presentation was made to the former Attorney-General. The court heard that the briefing was arranged because Dr Sharma had sought a waiver for the health equipment tender.

According to Wakanivesi, the waiver request was initially rejected by the former Prime Minister, but two days later the same waiver was approved. Dr Sharma faces two counts of abuse of office and two counts of breach of trust.

It is alleged that in 2011, he failed to follow proper government tender procedures and manipulated the procurement process for two Ministry of Health laboratory equipment tenders in favour of a company called Hospital Engineering & Consultancy Limited, also known as Hospineer.

Former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama faces one count of abuse of office.

He is alleged to have granted a waiver to the tender process in 2011 without lawful justification, allowing the procurement to proceed outside the required procedures.

Former Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum faces one count of abuse of office and one count of obstructing justice.

It is alleged he approved a separate tender waiver without lawful justification and later directed that a FICAC investigation into Dr Sharma be shelved, which allegedly delayed any criminal charges for nearly ten years.

All three have denied the charges, and the trial continues in the Suva High Court.

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