Murder accused denied bail
Asoldier, who is alleged to have killed his fourmonth-old daughter in Nabua last year, was denied bail by the High Court in Suva yesterday.
Tevita Veicavuyaki Kunawave, 26, appeared before Judge Justice Daniel Goundar for the ruling of his bail application. Kunawave is alleged to have seriously injured his daughter during an alleged heated argument he had with his wife on Sunday, October 27, 2019, at their home in Nabua.
Kunawave had pleaded not guilty to the charge and sought bail pending trial.
In his ruling, Justice Goundar said the prosecution case was potentially strong based on eyewitnesses’ account.
He said the accused was a military officer and his family and community ties were strong. “Murder is punishable by mandatory life imprisonment. Although the accused is likely to turn up for his trial due to his strong community ties, stringent bail conditions are unlikely to reduce the risk of interference with the prosecution witnesses who are closely related to the accused,” Justice Goundar said.
“There is a high likelihood of interference with the witnesses if the accused is released on bail.
“For these reasons, it is not in the interests of justice to grant bail.”