Plea deferred for 6 policemen on murder charge
The High Court in Suva has deferred the plea of six suspended Fiji Police Force personnel facing murder charges.
The six policemen from the Samabula Police Station are accused of murdering a man in February last year.
They are Ledua Balemainiusiladi, 26, Isimeli Baleilakeba Kiso, 37, Basilio Vevewa, 25, Maciu Vakaturaga,
32, Joshua Bull, 23, and Isireli Raseisei, 23.
As per the last amended information, they are charged with three counts of murder and three alternative counts of manslaughter of Mikaela Tikoivakenibula.
The allegations are that the deceased was brought to the Samabula Police Station after he allegedly assaulted a 27-year-old mechanic along Moala Street in Samabula. Police could not obtain the victim’s particulars because he was heavily intoxicated and was kept in custody.
Later that night, the duty officers found him motionless and he was rushed to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The allegations are that the accused persons assaulted the victim resulting in his death.
In court yesterday, High Court Judge Justice Thushara Rajasinghe suggested the state prosecutor from the Office of the Director of
Public Prosecutions, Eoghn Samisoni, to charge the six accused persons with one count of murder and charge them separately for alternative counts.
Vakaturaga and Bull’s lawyers Shirley Tivao and Susan Serukai had also filed an application for severance of charges.
Mr Samisoni filed and served a response supported with submissions to the application.
The matter will be called for hearing on the application on April 5.