Justice Daniel Goundar has granted former prime minister Voreqe Bainimarama permission to travel to New Zealand with his wife for urgent medical treatment, temporarily suspending his travel restrictions and relevant Stop Departure Orders.
The ruling was delivered via Zoom at the Suva High Court today.
Bainimarama had applied for a variation of his bail conditions to allow him to accompany his wife Mary Bainimarama who requires specialist treatment for a serious spinal infection that has worsened despite surgery and antibiotic treatment in Fiji.
The court heard that Mrs Bainimarama required further spinal surgery and had been accepted for treatment at Allevia Hospital in Auckland.
Justice Goundar said the medical evidence established an urgent need for overseas treatment and that Bainimarama’s presence would provide important practical and emotional support during his wife’s hospitalisation.
The State opposed the application, raising concerns about the seriousness of Bainimarama’s pending criminal charges, the possibility of him failing to return to Fiji and the impact his absence could have on court proceedings.
However, Justice Goundar said Bainimarama had complied with his bail conditions since being charged in 2023 and had never breached them.
He said the purpose of the proposed travel was essential and imperative, and the conditions imposed would protect the administration of justice.
Under the orders, Bainimarama is permitted to make a single trip to Auckland and must return to Fiji no later than December 3 2026.
He is also required to provide his travel itinerary and Auckland residential address together with a telephone number to the court registry and the prosecution.
The relevant Stop Departure Orders will be reinstated upon his return or when the travel permission expires, whichever occurs first.
Meanwhile, a pre-trial conference in his inciting-to-mutiny case, scheduled for November 24, will be rescheduled to a date after his return.
A separate ruling in the case involving an alleged abuse of office remains scheduled for December 4 2026.
