Former school manager, Kamlesh Arya was acquitted of one count of abuse of Office but told to answer for a second charge of general dishonesty causing a loss in the Suva High Court today.
Arya was charged by FICAC in 2017 with one count each of abuse of Office and general dishonesty causing a Loss.
In the first charge, High Court Judge Justice Riyaz Hamza acquitted Arya stating that prosecution had failed to provide any relevant or admissible evidence to establish the essential ingredient of the offence of abuse of Office.
This was whether or not Arya, as the School Manager the school was employed in the Public Service and so there was no case to answer.
With regards to the second charge, Justice Hamza ruled that there was some relevant and admissible evidence which touched on all the ingredients of the offence of general dishonesty causing a Loss and that there was a case to answer.
Defence counsel Dr. Gregory Woods QC requested that the case resume tomorrow and informed the court that they would be calling two witnesses who would provide character statements and
evidence on the documents provided by Prosecution.
The matter has been adjourned to tomorrow for the continuation of the defence case.
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