Justice Hamza Directs Counsels To Finalise PTC
The High Court in Lautoka has deferred the pretrial conference hearing to early next year in the case of four former corrections officers facing murder and assault charges.
This is in the case of Onisimo Raboiliku, Semesa Bulikalougata, Suliasi Tubuna and Navitalai Kanavo who are charged with the alleged murder of a remand prisoner Jone Masirewa in 2020 and assault causing actual bodily harm to remand prisoner Jone Nawali.
Bulikalougata is also charged with the alleged assault of remand prisoner Aserika Baleinasavusavu.
The matter was heard before High Court Judge, Justice Riyaz Hamza on Tuesday.
Raboiliku was represented by Salote Veitokiyaki, Bulikalougata by Samuela Heritage of Iqbal Khan and Associates while Tubuna was represented by Legal Aid Commission lawyer Shaheen Ali and Kanavo by Kelly Vulimainadave also of the LAC while Unal Dev Lal appeared for the prosecution.
Mr Lal told the court that only the respective defence counsels for Tubuna and Kanavo had responded to the draft pretrial conference checklist.
Ms Vulimainadave said she had yet to file the proposed agreed facts for her client and Ms Veitokiyaki has yet to file the same for her client.
Ms Lal said the pretrial conference checklist could be sorted once the proposed agreed facts for all the accused persons were finalised.
Justice Hamza told all counsels to finalise the proposed agreed facts and the pretrial conference checklist by January 16, 2023.
The case has been adjourned to January 26, 2023, for the pretrial conference hearing.