Former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has revealed his medical status for the first time.
Bainimarama informed court during his trial last week that he underwent a triple heart bypass surgery in 2021 and he also suffers from sleep apnoea.
As he maintained a not-guilty plea, the 69 year-old also told the court that he has a pacemaker hooked to him and that he needs to take medications for his heart condition.
Defence counsel Davenesh Sharma and the Acting Director of Public Prosecutions are expected to make closing submissions tomorrow at 2:30pm.
Bainimarama is charged with a count of attempt to pervert the course of justice, while Qiliho is charged with a count of abuse of office.
It is alleged that Bainimarama sometime in July 2020 as the Prime Minister directed the Police Commissioner to stop the investigation into a police complaint, in the abuse of the authority of his office, which was an arbitrary act prejudicial to the rights of the University of the South Pacific which is the complainant.
Also charged alongside Bainimarama is suspended Police Commissioner Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho.
It is alleged that Qiliho on the 15th of July 2020 as the Police Commissioner directed the Director of the Criminal Investigations Department, Serupepeli Neiko and Inspector Reshmi Dass to stop investigations into the police complaint by the USP, in the abuse of the authority of his office, which was arbitrary act of prejudicial to the rights to USP.
