Vakarisi Convicted, Eight Co-Accused Acquitted in Police Assault Case
The Magistrates Court in Suva has convicted Jone Vakarisi and acquitted his eight other co-accused in the alleged Nabua Police assault case. The nine accused are Vakarisi, Tevita Bulanaivalu, Ledua Gudru, Sekove Serkalou, Jese Sorovi, Toni Sokoiwasa, Chanel Antonio, Mark Ross and Semisi Rabakoko. They appeared before Magistrate Liyanage Wickramasekara yesterday for the judgment of their case. Their charges range from assault, resisting arrest, criminal intimidation among others.
Magistrate Wickramasekara acquitted Bulanaivalu, Gudru, Serkalou, Sorovi, Sokoiwasa, Antonio, Ross and Rabakoko on all counts. He, however, convicted Vakarisi on the charge of criminal intimidation and going equipped for a property offence.
Vakarisi will be sentenced today.
The charges:
The nine accused persons were each charged with one count of going equipped for a property offence, seven counts of criminal intimidation, one count of damaging property, and one count of resisting arrest.
It was alleged that on August 3, 2018, the nine accused persons, while traveling in vehicles, were equipped with cane knives with the intention of committing a property offence.
It was also alleged that on the same day, the nine accused persons, without lawful excuse, with intent to cause alarm threatened to kill five Police officers. These alleged incidents took place in Nabua.
They were also alleged to have wilfully and unlawfully damaged the rear left door glass, rear left door glass outlet moulding, rear windscreen, front bumper bar, left head lamp, and bonnet of a Police vehicle valued at $3095, the property of Fiji Police Force.
All nine of the accused were also alleged to have resisted arrest from Police constables while the Police constables were in execution of their duty.