Carpenters Fiji Managing Director Daniel Whippy in court today

The Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption is seeking a $20,000 surety bond and a plea by Carpenters Fiji Managing Director Daniel Whippy as conditions for bail variation application.

The matter was called before Magistrate Sufia Hamza today.

Whippy intends to travel to USA for two weeks for knee surgery.

According to FICAC counsel, Sera Fatafehi they want Whippy to take his plea and in the event, he doesn’t return to the country, the trial will continue in absentia.

Carpenters Fiji Managing Director Daniel Whippy in court today

The court noted that this is the fifth bail variation application made by Whippy and during the initial travel he had deposited $50,000 in the registry which formed the basis of future bail variation application.

Fatafehi also stated that the manner in which the application was made is suspicious.

However Whippy’s Senior Counsel Steven Stanton stated that his client to needs to gets himself treated as he is in agony and the constitution also grants him his right to health.

The matter has been stood down till this afternoon for defense to discuss on the plea and also surety bond.

In this matter O’Connor is charged with one count of abuse of office while Whippy is charged with one count of counselling for the omission of the offense.

This matter is in relation to a fire at Carpenters Fiji property, MH warehouse in Walubay in 2018.

It is alleged between 1st January and 28th September 2018, O’Connor whilst being employed in the Civil Service as the Chair of the National Fire Authority Board, in abuse of the authority of his office, did an arbitrary act, namely directing the officers of the NFA to amend the findings in their 30th April 2018 fire investigation report, for the fire that occurred on the April 8th, 2018 at the MH Warehouse located at Walu Bay, which was an act prejudicial to the rights of the NFA for the purposes of gain.

It is alleged that Whippy counselled O’Connor for the commission of the offense.