AT THE END OF THE DAY HE ABANDONED HIS "MEN": Finally, after three years, 3 Police Officers, 1 Soldier (with another on the run) appear in court charged with sexually assaulting escaped prisoner Benedito!

20/10/2015

SUSPECT Pita Matairavula, Bainimarama's Personal Security Officer,
ON THE RUN; IS THAT WHY BAINIMARMA HAD "STUCK BY HIS MEN" citing security of the nation and making sure he slept peacefully at night? Worst, like his killer brother-in-law Francis Kean, Matairavula is still working as PSO despite being charged in another case with Manslaughter, Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm and an alternative count of RAPE. And there is Bainimarama, himself on the run from law, preaching against sedition to Ra villagers! Welcome to "FRANK'S FIJI"

“At the end of the day, I will stick by my men, by the police officers or anyone else that might be named in this investigation. We cannot discard them just because they’ve done their duty in looking after the security of this nation and making sure we sleep peacefully at night.” - Frank Bainimarama reacting to the video which captured the sexual assault and brutal beating of Iowane Benedito in 2012

And where is Pita Matairavula, the fifth suspect whose whereabouts, according to DPP, cannot be located. DDP Pryde should go and ask Bainimarama, for Matairavula was Bainimarama's PSO before elections!
DDP Pryde is yet to reply to Fijileaks questions regarding his deputy Mosese Korovou, accused of allegedly borrowing $5000 from Defence lawyer Iqbal Khan and paying in kind by mounting weak prosecution case against businessman Mohammed Shaheed Khan, acquitted by the judge over the heroin case!

THREE police officers and a military personnel charged with sexual assault appeared at the Nasinu Magistrate Court this afternoon. Police officers Sanita Laqenasici, Jona Davonu, Semesi Naduka, and soldier Filimone Catimaibulu charged in relation to an alleged sexual assault on Iowane Benedito which occurred in November 2012.

All four have opted to be tried in the Magistrates' Court.

The State informed the Court that it will object to bail once a formal application for bail is made by the defence and all four have opted to be tried in the Magistrates' Court.

The State sought time from the Court to file full disclosures at the next mention date.

All accused have been further remanded and the matter has been adjourned to October 28. Source: Fiji Times

From Fijileaks Archive

The fifth suspect Pita Matairavula, who is now on the run re Benedito case, is also implicated in the death of Vilikesa Soko; in February this year, Matairavula and eight police officers appeared in the Sigatoka Magistrates Court. Military lawyer Joji Boseiwaqa said his client, Matairavula, was part of the disciplined forces and would abide to any bail conditions set out. Magistrate Tomasi Bainivalu ruled there was no evidence to indicate that granting Matairavula bail would endanger public interest or make the protection of the community more difficult, nor were they flight risks or had previous history of absconding bail.

From Fijileaks Archive

http://www.fijileaks.com/home/the-soko-death-file-fijileaks-stand-vindicated-eight-police-officers-and-one-military-officer-charged-with-manslaughter-assault-occasioning-bodliy-harm-and-alternative-count-of-rape-of-suspect-vilikesa-soko

From Fijileaks Archive

CRW soldier Selesitino Kalounivale was taken to Frank Bainimarama at the Naval Base (where he had fled during the November 2000 mutiny via the cassava patch) who instructed his soldiers to take Kalounivale to the Central Police Station in Suva. He was later taken out of CPS by Bainimarama's soldiers and battered to death; Kalounivale had taken no part in the mutiny; he was home attending to his sick child on mutiny day

12 Comments

Welcome Home

21/10/2015 09:50:50 am

It was predictable that this outrageous episode could not stand unaddressed indefinitely. Now we feel at least justified in our effort to raise global and regional concern. The date for mention is a most significant one. May justice be delivered at long last.

Welcome Home

21/10/2015 05:31:27 pm

All prisoners, whether on remand or sentenced in Due Process, have rights against cruel and inhumane treatment. These are covered under universal statutes in International Law. Disgraceful and shameful statements were made at the time in 2012 which reflected poorly upon the conduct of many in positions of authority and in the print and broadcast media in Fiji. These statements were a demonstration or not only sheer ignorance of the law but also of future liability under the duty to protect. It is essential now to allow Due Process to take its course and, for precedents to stand many others 'On Notice'. Why would any sensible person choose to invest without a clear demonstration beyond equivocation that the Law of the Jungle no longer holds sway in Fiji?

Welcome Home

21/10/2015 06:59:46 pm

Take a good close look at Vilikesa Soto's Medical Report issued from Lautoka Hospital. One does not need to be a Medical Practitioner to know that this is as serious as it can get. A crime cries out for Justice and the cry is a echo from other such crimes of like seriousness from 2000. There were and still are numerous known witnesses. We have had descriptions given in close detail of what took place. Pathologist reporting from Australia made known his finding and other medically qualified professionals were able to assess how deaths occurred. Brutality beyond contemplation other than to ensure that long-delayed justice is Coming On. Without it there can never be progress or tranquility and troubled souls will wreak more incalculable, arbitrary and gratuitous harm.

Lautoka Hospital Undertaker

21/10/2015 07:21:39 pm

Thanks to Fijileaks who refused to accept Police Commissioner's explanation that poor Viliame Soko had died after refusing to take his medication.

It was until Fijileaks published the autopsy report that DPP and Police were forced to act, as it turns out one of the suspects in Bainimarama's personal security officer.

Vinaka Fijileaks.

Keep the light of freedom and justice burning - the media are only good at hiding behind the regime and criticising Fijileaks

Vinaka, vinaka, vinaka!

The fate of FFP will be decided in 2018 and if Fijileaks keep up the spotlight, I am sure, our people will no longer blindly follow the local media and the regime

Ram Dulare

21/10/2015 08:46:21 pm

Anyone ever spare a thought of the victims of these hardened criminals. When one of them breaks into your house, steal, rape and sodomise your wife, then what will you say. If they had listened to their parents none of this would have happened

Dekho

21/10/2015 09:04:37 pm

Look, let me put it as plainly as possible : the Rule of Law went to the dogs in Frank's Fiji after the coupist and his thugs and hench men's takeover .
And the morally decrepit party with the Thug Ruler of Fiji .
With no shame.
And that is really the big shame!!

Welcome Home

22/10/2015 02:00:05 am

A special session of New Zealand Parliament was held under chairmanship of former Minister for Justice in the last Labour government Hon Phil Goff. The sole item on agenda we were informed was the issue of Fiji and the issues raised by treatment of persons held in custody amounting to cruel and inhumane treatment and failure of Duty to Protect. It might be timely for a release of Hansard record for Fijians to know now what was said and the motion passed at this session unanimously by all parties present. To our knowledge this has never been done previously. No media in Fiji appear to have shown interest. This of itself is revealing?

Tualeita

22/10/2015 02:21:54 am

When these inhumane brutalizers are in jail, then "we can sleep peacefully at night."

Welcome Home

22/10/2015 04:46:20 am

In February 2001 Amnesty International Regional Zdirector for Asia/Pacific arrived to look into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of soldiers and to meet with parties concerned as to how accountability might be achieved. It was a perilous mission and this will be confirmed by AI fifteen years later no doubt. In the West as well as in Suva Check Points were still in place due to imminent Court of Appeal hearing with Geoffrey Robertson QC representing Chandrika Prasad. Our affidavits were used in the Appeal with others and these deaths reinforced the case to uphold the 1997 constitution. Abrogations have brought more terror and death to Fiji since then. The media in the main has remained cowed in its solemn duty to protect the Public interest through intrepid and fearless reporting. Most noteworthy when crimes of violence especially sexually aggravated have been perpetrated by 'disciplined' forces. A misnomer if ever there was one.

CHAMGADUR

22/10/2015 01:17:47 pm

How's Manila?

rajend naidu

22/10/2015 09:16:11 pm

Editor,
We learn from SeattlePI article ' Rights Group : Eygpt Police Storm journalist training centre ' 21 Oct that Amnesty International says masked and armed Eygptian security forces raided the office of the Mada Foundation for Media Development , an organisation that trains and aides journalists. It is the latest assault on press freedom in Eygpt. The security forces detained all staff members on the premises.Said Boumedouba, Deputy Director of AI's Middle East and North Africa Program said " Carrying out an armed raid against an NGO which works to expand the skills of journalists sends a chilling and clear message that independent journalism and activities of civil society will not be tolerated in today's Eygpt ".
Recall here the predicament of the media and journalists in Fiji after the Bainimarama coup and the imposition of the PER. The tyranny against independent journalism still exists under the dictatorship imposed Media Decree.
Watchdogs say journalists face unprecedented threats in President Abdul -Fattah-El-Sisi's "new" Eygpt - the one he has created after his military takeover and subsequent " democratic" elections which the western world has embraced as a return to democracy .
Notice any parrallels ?
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

Sisi

23/10/2015 08:40:21 pm

The Magistrate in the Benedito case should declare his conflict of interest: the missing bodyguard was his client in the Soko case. And is it the role of Rfmf lawyers to represent soldiers in criminal cases?? Are they not paid by the state and therefore state lawyers?

"The fifth suspect Pita Matairavula, who is now on the run re Benedito case, is also implicated in the death of Vilikesa Soko; in February this year, Matairavula and eight police officers appeared in the Sigatoka Magistrates Court. Military lawyer Joji Boseiwaqa said his client, Matairavula, was part of the disciplined forces and would abide to any bail conditions set out. Magistrate Tomasi Bainivalu ruled there was no evidence to indicate that granting Matairavula bail would endanger public interest or make the protection of the community more difficult, nor were they flight risks or had previous history of absconding bail."

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