THE State’s application to have two properties, which were used to store 4.2 tonnes of methamphetamine in Nadi, forfeited, has been transferred to the High Court in Lautoka.
This civil matter involves State Leases 16827 (Lot 14) and 16829 (Lot 8), which were both acquired by Denarau Fitness Ltd from Challenge Engineering Ltd and registered on December 22, 2017.
Denarau Fitness Pte Ltd is a registered company with 99 per cent of its shares owned by Rasha Kurdi, who is the wife of Australian businessman Sam Amine.
On June 12 this year, Justice Penijamini Lomaloma was satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the two adjacent lots, were tainted and subject to an interim restraining order.
Justice Lomaloma ruled that Denarau Finance Ltd did not have any legitimate source of income from 2017 to 2020, and there was no legitimate source of income for the monies used by Denarau Fitness to purchase the two lots.
He also said Lot 14 was purchased with funds from an illegal source to store illicit drugs imported into the country, and a warehouse on the same lot was used to store over 4.2 tonnes of methamphetamine for three days from December 2023 to January 2024.
The ODPP is currently pursuing a court order to forfeit the two lots. The parties involved in this case include the Australian couple, Denarau Fitness Pte Ltd, and Mherina Amahaizabeen Ali Ahmed, an accountant
who possesses the remaining one per cent of shares in Denarau Fitness.
State lawyer Moira Konrote, on August 8, informed Justice Lomaloma at the court in Suva that she has responded to the respondent’s strike-out application.
When the judge inquired why the case was brought to the Suva jurisdiction despite the main proceedings taking place in Lautoka, Ms Konrote explained that it is a standard procedure, but she did not object to transferring the matter back.
Justice Lomaloma has also extended the interim restraining order.
The Lautoka court registry will issue a date, and parties will be notified via a Notice of Appearance (NOA).