Fiji’s ex-PM Frank Bainimarama jailed then bailed

Former Fiji prime minister Frank Bainimarama was granted bail in court on Wednesday after having spent a night in jail on an abuse of office charge stemming from his time in government.

Frank Bainimarama arrives at court in Suva on Wednesday. Picture: AFP

Former Fiji prime minister Frank Bainimarama was granted bail in court on Wednesday after having spent a night in jail on an abuse of office charge stemming from his time in government.

The 69-year-old former naval commodore seized power in a bloodless coup in 2006, leading the Pacific archipelago nation until he was voted out in elections in December 2022.

The charge against Mr Baini­marama dates back to 2011 when, as finance minister, he is alleged to have “recklessly abused his position” by waiving a tender bid “without lawful justification”, police said in a statement.

Fiji’s former attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and former health minister Neil Sharma were also arrested, charged and detained on Tuesday.

The trio appeared at Suva Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Mr Bainimarama looked relaxed, but didn’t comment as he entered the courthouse.

During a brief hearing, Mr Bainimarama, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum and Mr Sharma were each granted bail for $FJ10,000 ($6820).

Their next court appearance was set for March 19.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum faces an abuse of office charge and is also accused of intentionally obstructing the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption during an investigation.

Prosecutors have laid four charges against Mr Sharma on two counts, for abuse of office and for breach of trust offences.

The latest allegations against Mr Bainimarama come after he was found not guilty of perverting the course of justice in a separate case last October.

The former prime minister had been accused of using his ­political clout to shut down a ­sensitive police probe relating to an investigation into staff at Fiji’s University of the South Pacific in July 2020, when he was still in ­office.

AFP