Charlie Charters: Bail Variation Request to Travel to Australia | Fiji News
Suva, Fiji – – Former journalist and sports marketing expert Charlie Charters has applied to the Suva Magistrates Court for a variation of his bail conditions, seeking permission to travel to Australia for employment. The application was heard today before Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne, who has reserved his ruling until .
Charters, a Fijian and British national, was granted bail on , despite objections from the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC). He is currently charged with two counts of aiding and abetting, contrary to Section 45 of the Crimes Act 2009, read together with Section 13G(1) of the FICAC Act 2007. The charges relate to the alleged publication of confidential FICAC information on his Facebook account.
During today’s proceedings, Charters’ counsel, Seforan Fatiaki, argued that his client’s employment in Sydney, Australia, is at risk if he is unable to travel. According to Fatiaki, Charters is a Hong Kong resident and the delay in securing travel clearance is jeopardizing his job opportunity. FICAC counsel reportedly objected to the bail variation, prompting Magistrate Somaratne to request a formal written objection to be filed by .
The case has drawn attention to issues of freedom of expression in Fiji. Charters, prior to his arrest, had been publicly commenting on Facebook regarding the operations of FICAC and the Fiji Sports Council, referencing publicly available documents and his own sources. His arrest and subsequent detention sparked concern among politicians, advocates, and journalists in the country.
FICAC alleges that between , and , Charters intentionally aided and abetted an FICAC officer in publishing official information without the required written permission from the Commissioner. A second charge alleges that on , he aided and abetted another FICAC officer in a similar offense. Both alleged offenses involve postings made on Charters’ Facebook account.
Charters was initially taken into FICAC custody on , after arriving at Nadi International Airport en route to Sydney. He spent the weekend in custody before appearing in court on . He was released on a non-cash bond of FJ$2000 and subject to several bail conditions, including a stop-departure order preventing him from leaving Fiji and the surrender of his passports to the court registry.
The defense team, comprised of Seforan Fatiaki, Wylie Clarke, Laurel Vaurasi, Richard Naidu, and Subhash Parshotam, had previously requested seven days for FICAC to present the second phase of disclosures related to the case. Magistrate Somaratne granted this request.
Charters addressed the media following his initial court appearance, expressing gratitude for the support shown by the media and well-wishers on social media. He also made a lighthearted observation about his weight gain since his earlier days in journalism, according to reports.
The prosecution had initially sought stricter bail conditions, including cash bail, fortnightly reporting to a police station, restrictions on public commentary, and a prohibition on contact with FICAC employees or entry into FICAC premises. Magistrate Somaratne, but, determined that any concerns regarding overseas travel could be addressed through a formal bail variation application, setting the stage for today’s hearing.
The case is being closely watched by observers concerned about the potential impact on journalistic freedoms and the independence of the media in Fiji. The outcome of the bail variation application and the subsequent proceedings are likely to have broader implications for the operating environment for journalists and commentators in the country.