VERONICA Malani has appealed to the Fiji Court of Appeal in her pursuit of a prosecution of Attorney-General and FijiFirst general secretary Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum over an alleged bombing attack at her home in 1987.
The matter was called before Court of Appeal president Justice Jayantha Guneratne in the Court of Appeal at the Veiuto Court complex in Suva yesterday.
In the High Court Mrs Malani had sought leave to apply for judicial review to overturn the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) not to prosecute Mr Sayed-Khaiyum, alleging that he was involved in a bombing at Mrs Malani’s home in 1987 when she was 14 years old.
She said the blast injured her and her mother.
The DPP declined to bring charges against Mr Sayed-Khaiyum, saying there was insufficient credible and reliable evidence to support criminal charges.
Chief Justice Kamal Kumar refused Mrs Malani leave in the High Court to challenge the DPP’s decision and ordered her to pay the DPP costs of $5000. Justice Guneratne set directions for the filing and serving of submissions by the parties.
Mrs Malani’s submissions are to be filed and served by December 28, with the DPP’s to be filed by January 26, 2023. Mrs Malani may reply 14 days thereafter if necessary. The matter was set down for hearing on March 14, 2023.
