A Fiji court has rejected an application by real estate developer Freesoul who this week sought to exclude testimony by enviroment officers in the trial against the company.
Freesoul Limited has been charged with one count of undertaking unauthorised development and failure to comply with a prohibition notice.
The State alleges Freesoul carried out development on land at Wacia on Malolo Island in 2018 without an approved Environment Impact Assessment report.
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Freesoul lawyers had argued the officers from the Environment Department should not give evidence in the trial because they are not environment officers.
But Magistrate Seini Puamau refused Freesoul's application and has allowed the State to call the officers as witnesses.
Ms Puamau has also allowed the officers to use their reports compiled from their inspections on the development site.
The matter has been adjourned to the 18th of November.
If convicted, the company directors face fines of up to $US345,000 or a term of imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both.