Citizen journalist Charlie Charters is preparing to appear in court next week as he seeks to modify his bail conditions to allow for travel to Australia for work purposes. This application was presented to Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne during a hearing at the Suva Magistrate’s Court, which took place at 2:30 PM. The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) is contesting Charters’ request and has sought additional time to submit its objections.
Charters is facing two charges related to aiding and abetting the unlawful disclosure of sensitive information from FICAC. These charges are based on alleged infractions of section 45 of the Crimes Act and section 13(1)(g) of the FICAC Act. The accusations suggest that Charters assisted a FICAC officer by disclosing confidential details regarding the commission’s operations on his Facebook page without obtaining prior approval from the FICAC Commissioner late last year.
In response to these developments, Magistrate Somaratne has mandated the prosecution to file and serve its objections as well as additional disclosures by the upcoming Monday. The court is set to reconvene the following day to consider the bail variation application, with an expected decision by Wednesday, March 4. This legal matter highlights the ongoing challenges related to freedom of expression and the nuanced boundaries of information sharing within governmental contexts, emphasizing the importance of clarity in such regulations.