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An Occupational Health and Safety inspector charged over the fatal 2023 Ferris wheel incident in Suva has yet to take his plea.
The accused, 34-year-old Ashneel Nath, appeared before High Court judge Justice Thushara Rajasinghe at the Suva High Court. He faces a manslaughter charge linked to an alleged breach of duty.
The case relates to the death of a 21-year-old woman who fell from a Ferris wheel during the 2023 Vodafone Showcase at the Vodafone Arena in Suva.
Justice Rajasinghe told the court that it was frustrating that the counsels were not able to liaise and solve issues before coming to court.
He informed the counsels that this matter has been called about five times without the accused person taking a plea.
He ordered the counsels to meet, liaise and solve any of the remaining issues and disclosures.
Nath’s lawyer Karl Jamnadas told the court that the state has not yet been able to articulate the omission and what the accused did and called the charge defective and claimed that power and duty are two separate things.
He also noted that there were issues in the disclosure, one being that nothing indicated the need for a licence for operating a Ferris wheel, and asked the state to relook at its disclosures.
The second being, the accused was not present at the location at the time of the incident, as claimed by the state; however, the state told the court that they stand by their evidence and have witnesses to confirm that the accused was at the scene of the incident.
Justice Rajasinghe has ordered the counsels to meet today at 1 p.m.; however, the state counsel noted that she was in trial and would not be able to meet today.
Jamnadas told the court that he will write to the state all the issues that he has by close of business tomorrow.
The Judge ordered the state to file amended information in seven days’ time.
The matter will be called again on the 23rd of this month.
