Case of woman who broke curfew to get married in Suva disposed
A62-year-old woman from Santa Rosa, California, who defied self-quarantine orders to go to the Registrar of Marriage Office in Suva on March 27, has had her case disposed after she paid her $500 fine. Self-employed Susana Burenivalu appeared before Chief Magistrate Usaia Ratuvili yesterday charged with one count of failure to comply with a public order.
She pleaded guilty to breaching the mandatory self-quarantine measures after disembarking from the Los Angeles flight on March 23, and was convicted. Police were notified when Burenivalu turned up at the Registrar of
Marriage Office requesting for an urgent procedure of marriage. She was charged after completing her quarantine period on April 8. Burenivalu told the Court that the instructions given to her at the Nadi International Airport was unclear.
She said she was in the process of renewing her passport, and was going to get married to a church steward.
In mitigation, she submitted that she is a permanent resident of the United States and had been working overseas for two decades.
She said she had six grandchildren and three children from a previous marriage, whom she supported financially.
She said she went to the US to pay the mortgage for her property in
Raiwaqa.
Burenivalu apologised to the Court and agreed to pay her fine of $500.
Police Prosecutor Sergeant Joseph Dickson said her case was of public interest as people’s lives were at risk from COVID-19, and the Government was doing all it could to prevent the virus from spreading further.
Sergeant Dickson said the accused had disregarded the measures implemented by the Fijian Government to ensure the health and safety of all Fijian citizens.
Chief Magistrate Ratuvili said: “Fiji is in the grips of a global pandemic. So far, we have only 15 cases and one way to stop it from spreading is for people traveling from overseas to self-quarantine not only to protect themselves but also their family and loved ones.” He said the accused should have sought further clarifications at the airport if the instructions given to her were not clear.
A deterrent fine of $500 was imposed on her to pay within one month or face a default imprisonment term of 50 days.