Australian woman found not guilty of drug, weapons charges in Fiji

SUVA, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- The wife of former Australian horse trainer John Nikolic has been freed from custody in Fiji after she was found not guilty of drugs and weapons charges on Monday.

Yvette Nikolic and her husband John have been on trial in Fiji's capital Suva and had pleaded not guilty to five charges related to the import of drugs and possession of drugs and firearms without a license.

On last Friday, lawyers for Yvette Nikolic submitted a "no case to answer" application to Justice Daniel Goundar.

The application attempted to acquit Yvette Nikolic and Goundar approved the application on Monday.

Yvette and her husband John Nikolic were charged of possession of drugs, cash, arms, and ammunition on their yacht the "Shenanigans" in Nadi, Fiji's third largest town, last year.

Goundar said the prosecution's case against Yvette was entirely based on circumstantial evidence.

Goundar said apart from owning the vessel and accompanying her husband on the journey, there is no evidence that she was in control of the vessel.

The couple was arrested after Fijian authorities seized 13 bricks of cocaine weighing 15 kg as well as ecstasy tablets from their yacht on June 22, 2018.

John Nikolic's charges are still applicable and the case would continue on Tuesday.