COP TESTIfIES THAT SECURITY GUARD HAD VISION OF ALLEGED EVIDENCE

APolice officer yesterday testified that a security guard, who claimed of having a vision, claimed that the home he was looking after contained salt-like substances and arms.

Police Detective Corporal Viliame Nagatalevu was giving evidence on Day 6 of Canadian national Joshua Rahman’s trial at the High Court in Suva. Rahman is charge with possession of illicit drugs involving 39.5 kilograms (39 bars) of cocaine between January 23 and February 14, 2019, worth $31 million.

Nagatalevu cross examined

In cross-examination, defence lawyer, Devanesh Sharma, asked Police Detective Corporal Nagatalevu how he knew of the drugs arriving in Fiji. Detective Corporal Nagatalevu, who has been in the Fiji Police Force for more than 15 years, testified that there were no reports on such. However, he had gathered that there were white substances that looked like salt and arms at the house as per the security guard’s vision.

Detective Corporal Nagatalevu testified that he did not have any knowledge on how the drugs came to Fiji or were present in the master bedroom. He testified that during the time in question of the charge, between January 23, 2019, and February 14, 2019, there was no telephone communication between Rahman and his father, Tallat Rahman.

Detective Corporal Nagatalevu was also questioned by the defence if the CID officers had obtained a High Court order to extend Rahman’s detention.

He testified that he recalled his supervisor had gone to the Director of Public Prosecution’s office to seek consultation and claimed that the DPP directed for Rahman to be released from the currency case and be rearrested in the drug case. Detective Corporal Nagatalevu testified that Rahman was arrested at midnight on February 13, 2019, from a hotel room in Nadi because he was seen with three persons of interests from a foreign country that were carrying FJ$30,000 and NZ$9000.

He told the court that Rahman was arrested after the arrest of three persons of interest at a coffee shop in Suva.

Mr Sharma questioned the witness of why his name did not appear in the list of personnel who went to search the house in Caubati on February 14, 2019.

Detective Corporal Nagatalevu claimed it depended on who prepared the list.

Defence also questioned the witness of why a docket, that was later disclosed during the trial as evidence, was not in the list of items seized from Rahman’s house on February 14, 2019. Detective Corporal Nagatalevu testified that he was in possession of the docket.

He further testified that on February 14, 2019, at about 11pm when he arrived at the house for search in Caubati, the officers were still searching the house and in the tunnel underneath the two bedrooms.

Mr Sharma questioned of the tunnel and asked the witness if he had any photographs to prove there were tunnels underneath two bedrooms in the house, Detective Corporal Nagatalevu claimed he did not.

Detective Corporal Nagatalevu was questioned by the defence if he was part of the CID team who went to Nadi to search Rahman and the room he was staying in at the hotel, the witness testified yes. He said that it was around midnight that they searched Rahman’s room and after the search, took him to Namaka Police Station where Rahman was kept overnight.

He testified that the search at Rahman’s room was in relations to the currencies and that Rahman was escorted to CID HQ in Suva on February 13, 2019, while in Police custody.

When defence questioned the witness on whether everything was noted in the station diary relating to Rahman from February 13 to February 15, 2019, at the CID HQ in Suva, Detective Corporal Nagatalevu testified that he was the investigating officer for the drug case and not the currency case.

He also claimed that the station diary was handed over to the DPP’s office. The trial continues today.