Phone thief suspect traced through CCTV

AMagistrates Court in Nadi heard yesterday that a 35-year- old unemployed man charged with one count of theft was traced through CCTV footage.

Police prosecutor Constable Dinesh Chand told the court presided by Magistrate Siromi Turaga that Asaeli Maluwaikava allegedly stole two phones worth $699 and $2199 from a Digicel Shop in Nadi town last Saturday. Maluwaikava was traced through CCTV footage and later arrested in town, Constable Chand said. He objected to bail since Maluwaikava had five previous convictions. In mitigation Maluwaikava said he was going to marry his partner who is two months pregnant. He told the court he would not reoffend and had learnt his lesson. While the items had been recovered by Police. Magistrate Turaga said the accused had five previous convictions and there was no guarantee that he would reoffend. He is remanded and will re-appear at the Nadi Magistrates Court on April 11 for sentencing. Meanwhile, a 28-year-old unemployed man of Namotomoto Village in Nadi appeared in court charged with one count of walking off without payment. Napolioni Nawaqa told Magistrate Siromi Turaga that he understood the charge, pleaded guilty and waived his right to be represented by a lawyer.

In mitigation he apologised for his wrong doing, and explained that he was single and unemployed. Prosecutor Constable Dinesh Chand told the court that Nawaqa last Friday allegedly hired a taxi from Jet point, Martintar looking for a nightclub. First he arrived with the taxi at the After Dark nightclub, then later to NASA nightclub in Namaka only to be told that it was closed. In the same taxi he ended up at the Deep Sea nightclub and ran off without paying the $15 cab fare. The taxi driver reported the matter to Police and Nawaqa was arrested inside the nightclub. Magistrate Turaga remanded Nawaqa and he will re-appear on April 8 for sentencing.