Seven men tied to the Fishrot scandal failed again to block their prison transfer. Judge Boas Usiku said yesterday that they broke court rules when filing against prison leaders. Their urgent request from last May remains off the court list.
The men changed what they asked for but used the same papers instead of starting fresh. Usiku explained that they should have given officials proper time to respond after making changes. The group includes former justice minister Sacky Shanghala, ex-fishing company boss Mike Nghipunya, and five others facing fraud charges.
Five defendants moved to a section with more awaiting-trial inmates last May. They still spend days in their old area with computers and internet access for trial prep. The men claimed the move hurt their defense work. Judge Moses Chinhengo set their criminal trial to start on August 4.
The men changed what they asked for but used the same papers instead of starting fresh. Usiku explained that they should have given officials proper time to respond after making changes. The group includes former justice minister Sacky Shanghala, ex-fishing company boss Mike Nghipunya, and five others facing fraud charges.
Five defendants moved to a section with more awaiting-trial inmates last May. They still spend days in their old area with computers and internet access for trial prep. The men claimed the move hurt their defense work. Judge Moses Chinhengo set their criminal trial to start on August 4.
