Call on Chaudhry judge due soon

Mahendra Chaudhry. Photo / NZ Herald.

Former Fiji prime minister Mahendra Pal Chaudhry will find out next month if he has succeeded in his bid for an overseas judge to preside over his money laundering and tax evasion case.

Chaudhry is charged with a dozen counts of alleged money laundering, tax evasion and not declaring foreign currency.

He has hired Peter Williams QC to represent him in the case, replacing his son, Rajendra Chaudhry, as his lawyer, the Fijivillage website reported on Monday.

In July, Rajendra Chaudhry entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of his father in the Suva High Court and made an application for bail variation, saying Chaudhry needed to travel overseas for medical treatment.

Justice Daniel Goundar was set to rule on the bail application but Director of Public Prosecutions lawyer Aca Rayawa told the judge Rajendra Chaudhry had filed an application for the case to be heard by a judge who wasn't a resident of Fiji.

Mr Williams backed up the bid for an overseas judge, saying his client's status as Fiji's first ethnic Indian leader should be considered when making the decision.

An independent inquiry in March 2008 found Chaudhry clean of all allegations, Mr Williams said.

Justice Goundar will make a decision on October 15.

Chaudhry was deposed as Fiji's prime minister in a nationalist coup in 2000 after being held hostage for 56 days.

It is alleged he held up to A$400,000 in a Commonwealth Bank of Australia account and A$50,000 was given to his daughter in Australia without the necessary procedures being followed.

- AAP