In May, two officers face serious crime charges

One faces assault charges while the other on bribery and falsifying charges.

Government MP Rohit Ritesh Sharma (left), with wife Shriddhi Sonika Anand outside the Nasinu Magistrates Court on June 2, 2020.

Government Member of Parliament, Rohit Ritesh Sharma, who allegedly assaulted his wife was yesterday bailed with strict conditions. Sharma was issued a restraining order, warned not to reoffend while on bail and ordered to surrender his travel documents. Sharma, 41, appeared before Magistrate Sofia Hamza at the Nasinua Magistrates Court.

He is charged with one count of assault causing actual bodily harm.

He is alleged to have assaulted his wife causing her harm on May 31, at Davuilevu in Nakasi. Sharma was also ordered to follow an interim restraining order issued with standard and nonmolestation conditions.

What happened in court?

Police prosecutor Gajendra Prasad told the court that he had served the accused with full phase of disclosures and that

they did not object to bail. However, Mr Prasad said the accused had to present cash bail bond, two suitable sureties, reporting conditions and to surrender his travel documents. Defence lawyer Jitend Reddy told the court that Sharma was ready with two sureties, who were his cousins.

The sureties both sworn on the Holy Ramayan and ensured the court that they would oblige by their duties as the sureties. Magistrate Hamza granted bail to Sharma and ordered him to pay a cash bail of $1000.

She ordered the two sureties to sign a bail bond of $500 each. Magistrate Hamza also ordered Sharma to surrender all his travel documents and passport to the Nasinu Court registry immediately after the case.

She also ordered Sharma not to interfere with the prosecution witnesses nor to reoffend while on bail.

Magistrate Hamza initially ordered Sharma to report to the Nakasi Police Station every Saturday.

However, Mr Reddy told the court that the accused was a Member of Parliament and had meetings on Saturdays to attend due to his work portfolio.

In reply, Magistrate Hamza said she did not want to know what the accused did for a living.

She then ordered Sharma to report to the Nakasi Police Station every Sunday between 8am and 5pm.

Outside court

Outside court, Mr Reddy said the complainant had written a withdrawal statement to submit to the Police. However, it was not accepted as Sharma was charged for the alleged offence.

Mr Reddy also said that he would make legal submissions for representation to the Director of Public Prosecutions to withdraw the case.

The case was adjourned to October 13 for a plea.

Government MP Rohit Ritesh Sharma (left), with his lawyer Jitend Reddy outside the Nasinu Magistrates Court on June 2, 2020.

Two Police officers were among the 36 people charged with a total of 42 counts of separate incidents in May, says the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

A 34-year-old Police officer was charged with one count of assault causing actual bodily harm to his 33-year-old wife while a 50-year-old Police officer was charged with receiving a bribe of $50 and falsifying a traffic accident report.

The data relates to the number of formal indictments (Information) filed in the High Courts of Fiji by the Director of Public Prosecutions throughout the month.

This data is confined to alleged incidents of serious crimes other than sexual violence offences, which are recorded and published separately. The alleged offences were murder (2), manslaughter arising from breach of duty (1), aggravated robbery (7), robbery (1), aggravated burglary (11), burglary (1), theft (11), receiving stolen property (1), receiving a bribe (1), falsifying a document (1), assault causing actual bodily harm (2), act with intent to cause grievous harm (1), unlawful wounding (1) and unlawful cultivation of illicit drugs (1).

Of the 36 accused persons, one was a juvenile.

A 14-year-old boy was charged with one count of aggravated robbery. The juvenile allegedly robbed a 20-yearold man of his mobile phone and cash worth $399.

There were 27 victims of the 42 counts of separate alleged incidents. There were five alleged incidents where the accused and the victims were related.

A 69-year-old man was charged with the murder of an 82-year-old man. The accused allegedly hit the victim causing him to fall back and hit his head on the pavement, which resulted in his death.

In another alleged incident, a 21-year-old man was charged with the murder of a 40-year-old man.

The accused allegedly attacked the victim with a cane knife because he thought the victim had stolen his mobile phone.

A 36-year-old man and a 32-yearold woman were charged with manslaughter arising from breach of duty after they left their five-year-old son unsupervised, which resulted in his death after sustaining burns from falling into hot springs.

A 24-year-old woman was charged with an act with intent to cause grievous harm after she poured boiling water over her 30-year-old de facto partner.

A 34-year-old man was charged with one count of assault causing actual bodily harm to his 32-year-old wife. There was one alleged incident where a 48-year-old man was charged with one count of unlawful wounding after he allegedly attacked his 26-year-old son with a cane knife. Cash and assorted items ranging from $20 to over $19,500 were allegedly stolen during the aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and theft offences, which consisted of home invasions, shop and service station burglaries, daylight and night street robberies as well as vehicle robberies.

A 41-year-old man was charged with the unlawful cultivation of illicit drugs. He allegedly cultivated 10.3 kilograms of marijuana.

Four cases were withdrawn after discontinuances (Nolle Prosequi) were filed because of insufficient evidence.