A TRIAL date has been set for four senior Methodist Church ministers charged with organising and participating in an illegal meeting.
Church president Reverend Tuikilakila Waqairatu, Reverend Ame Tugaue, Reverend Manasa Lasaro and Reverend Tomasi Kanailagi face charges of breaching the Public Emergency Regulation (PER) in 2009.
Mr Tugaue appeared before Magistrate Janaka Bandara yesterday while Mr Lasaro and Mr Kanailagi did not appear because they were sick.
Defence lawyer Aseri Vakaloloma told the court another of his clients, Mr Waqairatu, was still in New Zealand after being given the green light by Magistrate Chaitanya Lakshman to attend to a church meeting there last week.
He advised the court Mr Waqairatu was expected to return to Fiji on March 25 as per the court order.
Mr Vakaloloma said a doctor had been arranged to attend to Mr Lasaro and Mr Kanailagi and their medical reports would be presented to court at the next court date.
Mr Bandara said the four ministers would need to be present on April 26 when trial begins.