Yvette Nikolic facing appeal against acquittal as John Nikolic awaits sentencing
As former Aussie horse trainer John Nikolic awaits sentencing, News Corp can reveal Fiji’s DPP is considering appealing his wife Yvette’s recent acquittal.
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Former horse trainer John Nikolic could be sentenced to decades, and possibly life, in a Fiji prison after today being found guilty of drug smuggling and possessing undeclared weapons.
The guilty verdict comes as it is revealed the recent acquittal of his wife, Yvette Nikolic, may now be appealed.
The mum of two walked free from the Suva High Court 10 days ago, having been found not guilty of all charges.
She flew home to Australia the next day, arriving at Melbourne airport shortly after 8pm on February 19.
But in an official statement released late afternoon the Fiji Director of Public Prosecutions said it was now considering appealing Yvette Nikolic’s acquittal.
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News Corp Australia understands that while Fiji has a bilateral agreement with Australia for fugitives, returning a person — who has been found not guilty — from a foreign country for appeal purposes is untested territory.
John Nikolic showed no sign of emotion as Justice Daniel Goundar delivered his guilty verdict.
Earlier in the day he was seen smiling and appeared relaxed.
A sentencing hearing for Nikolic will now be held on March 8.
Drug importation in Fiji carries a maximum penalty of life in prison but other foreign drug smugglers have typically received sentences of between 15 and 20 years.
The court’s three assessors also found Nikolic guilty of two counts of importing illicit drugs and one count of possession of arms and ammunition without holding an arms licence.
He was found to have imported 12.9kg of cocaine and 65 tablets of cocaine and methamphetamine and to have in his possession two guns and 112 rounds of ammunition.
In the Fiji courts systems, the three assessors — who are educated members of the general public — sit in court each day and listen to evidence presented throughout a trial, before providing their individual ‘opinions’ at the end.
The judge presiding over the case is expected to take into consideration their opinions but is not bound by them.
Thirteen bars of cocaine, believed to be worth as much as $AU30 million, was found on the Nikolics’ yacht Shenanigans when it was raided by Fiji customs officers at Denarau Marina on June 22 last year.
When the first stash of 10 cocaine bars was found under the yacht’s deck, the court heard John Nikolic told authorities where they would find more cocaine.
He took sole responsibility for the drugs and was heard to say he owed dangerous people a lot of money and a Colombian had put something in a bag on the boat, the court has been told.
Justice Goundar said he accepted the prosecution case that Nikolic — the master of Shenanigans — had tried to interrupt the search by the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) by attempting self-harm.
Weapons, ecstasy tablets, ammunition and $US15,000 in $100 bills were found hidden in the wall of the yacht’s saloon area after Nikolic was rushed to hospital following a deliberate drug overdose.
The court heard today the drugs found on Shenanigans would be destroyed and the best way to safely do this would be investigated.
The weapons would potentially be gifted to the Fiji military, lead prosecutor Lee Burney said.
Meanwhile, Yvette Nikolic, who technically owns Shenanigans, is fighting the FRCS in the Suva High Civil Court to have the yacht returned to her.
The catamaran is currently on dry dock at Vuda Marina, near Nadi, and the FRCS has applied for its forfeiture and sale.
John Nikolic’s lawyer Wasu Pillay said Yvette would also be seeking the return of the $US15,000 found in Shenanigan’s saloon wall.
The Nikolics sold their house on the Gold Coast in July 2017, before travelling to Florida to buy a yacht and setting off on what they dubbed the “adventure of a lifetime” in early February last year.
The loved-up couple sailed from Florida, to Colombia, through Panama and across the Pacific, to Fiji.
They have maintained a plea of not guilty to all charges throughout their High Court trial.
John Nikolic refused to comment when asked for his thoughts by News Corp Australia today.
No members of his family were present in court when the guilty verdict was delivered.
The battle for possession of Shenanigans continues in the Suva Civil High Court on Friday.
Originally published as Yvette Nikolic facing appeal against acquittal as John Nikolic awaits sentencing
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