Australian citizen Ethan Kai has been freed after charges against him were withdrawn by the prosecution.

Kai, who had been sentenced to 15 years in 2014 for his involvement in an alleged $30 million heroin importation case, saw his legal saga come to an unexpected conclusion.

The decision to withdraw the charges came after a series of legal maneuvers and objections raised by Kai’s defense team Mark Anthony and Robert Bancod.

The prosecution filed a nolle prosequi, effectively halting further prosecution of the case against Kai.

The case dates back to 2014 when Kai was initially convicted.

However, the Fiji Court of Appeal overturned the verdicts in 2015, leading to a retrial order by the Lautoka High Court.

Today’s events unfolded as the state sought to proceed with a trial in absentia, a move contested by the judge due to procedural irregularities including the failure to serve summons to another individual initially charged in the case, Shaheed Khan.

In response to the state’s request for an extension to serve these summons and a subsequent adjournment of the trial by four weeks, Kai’s lawyer Anthony argued against any delay.

Ultimately, the judge denied the state’s application for an extension, prompting the state to withdraw the charges against Kai.

As a result, the court ruled for Kai’s immediate release.