The third state observer in the Freesoul Real Estate Development (Fiji) PTE Ltd preliminary told the court that she thinks the Environmental Impact Assessment report was neglected by handling ecological officials and the council that was named to audit the EIA report.
The third state observer is Sandeep Singh who is the Director of Environment.
Singh told the court that she thinks the EIA was ignored in light of the fact that when Freesoul presented the screening application, it had just Wacia in Malolo yet when the EIA was put together by Freesoul advisors, it likewise included Qalilawa in Malolo.
She says the landowning unit just gave assent for Wacia.
At the point when addressed on why the forbiddance notice didn’t cover the second region which is Qalilawa, Singh says everything had Wacia and there was no application made to try and correct the screening application to incorporate Qalilawa.
When addressed by Magistrate Puamau, Singh says she came to think about Qalilawa when they were altering the charges for Freesoul.
Singh says that Qalilawa was under Natadola Investment and later moved to Dickson International of Freesoul.
She says on the 24th of December 2018, they gave a restrictive EIA endorsement. Singh says they at that point discovered that 20 of the 55 conditions under that endorsement was not consented to by Freesoul. She says they gave another preclusion notice in April 2019.
Singh says starting today, Freesoul doesn’t have any endorsement to proceed with resort advancement works at Malolo.
The preliminary proceeds before Suva Magistrate, Seini Puamau.
The charges against Freesoul identify with the inability to follow a Prohibition Notice gave by the Director of Environment in June 2018 and completing of resort improvement action in Malolo without an affirmed Environmental Impact Assessment Report.
Under the Environment Management Act 2005, whenever indicted, the organization and its chiefs face fines of up to $750,000 or a term of detainment of as long as 10 years, or both.
-Fiji Village
