The second FICAC witness in the former CEO of the then Fiji Commerce Commission, Bobby Maharaj's abuse of office trial has told the Suva Magistrates Court that he filled the inspection form that alleges Raja's Foodcourt and Bakery had breached the Commerce Commission Decree in Maharaj's office.
Sanjay Menon told the court today that he had filled the inspection form on the 5th of September 2012 after he compiled a summary of the trader file which contains the trader’s previous offences and actions taken against the trader on the instruction of Maharaj.
Menon says Maharaj was dictating the information by referring to the trader file and to his computer.
He says he filled information such as date, the TIN, address and some items and offences.
Menon told the court that he put these details on the form but he did not fill in the part where the trader acknowledges the document and of the witness.
When asked by the FICAC lawyer, Rashmi Aslam about the effects of the documents, Menon says it shows the trader was inspected on the 19th of December, 2011. He also told the court that Raja's Foodcourt and Bakery was not inspected on that day.
He says he was the leading inspector on the 17th of March when Raja's Foodcourt and Bakery was inspected and this was the only time he visited the trader.
Menon, who was a messenger and driver of the Commission at that time says he carried out inspections on the directive of the CEO.
He says he was reluctant to question Maharaj when filling the inspection form on 5th of September 2012 because he believed he would be fired for doing so.
He says that by that time, he was a research intern and he did not have the authority to question the CEO.
Menon has been granted immunity by FICAC.
The trial continues before Magistrate Jioji Boseiwaqa.
