 Police are investigating a brutality complaint against several police officers after a Sigatoka couple claimed they were taken into police custody and physically and verbally abused as part of a police investigation. Police spokeswoman Ana Naisoro said an official complaint was lodged at the Lautoka Police Station by the couple who said they were questioned about the alleged double murder of former US residents Sesha Reddy and Mirdu Chandra at Lawai, Sigatoka last month. Mohammed Shahim, 50, and his wife, Shazia Nisha, of Nasau, Sigatoka, claimed the abuse happened while they were questioned at the Cuvu Police Station on February 23. |  |
Ms Nisha claimed she was questioned first and subjected to verbal abuse.
“They showed me someone’s hat and said it was at the murder scene and asked if I recognised it.
“I said ‘no’, then they asked me intimate questions about my sex life with my husband.
There was a lady officer and she said I should say ‘yes’ or I will get assaulted by four iTaukei policemen who were standing nearby.
“I said ‘no’ and they made me stay there for four hours. They took me home and then at 7pm that same night, they came and took my husband.”
Mr Shahim said he owned a black car which police claimed, from CCTV footage, had been at the dead couple’s home before their bodies were discovered.
Showing injuries he claimed were sustained during a 12-hour interrogation, Mr Shahim said six police officers were involved in the assault.
“They put bongo chillies in my mouth and told me to say yes. I said I didn’t know what I was saying yes to. Six iTaukei officers punched, kicked and used a baton to assault me.
They said if I say yes, they will leave me alone.” He said after the alleged assault, he was left to spend the night in a cell without medical treatment.
“I told them — I wanted to go to hospital — they said they will take me in the morning. I couldn’t sleep the whole night because of pain.
They said ‘don’t worry, we will take you to Nadroumai (village), a Fijian man will put leaves and you will be healed and don’t go to the hospital.
They took me to Nadroumai the next morning and then they dropped me near the post office in Sigatoka. “I limped home from there.”
Ms Naisoro said Acting Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu had directed a team from Internal Affairs be deployed to the Western Division to investigate. SOURCE: The Fiji Times, 10 March 2021
“They showed me someone’s hat and said it was at the murder scene and asked if I recognised it.
“I said ‘no’, then they asked me intimate questions about my sex life with my husband.
There was a lady officer and she said I should say ‘yes’ or I will get assaulted by four iTaukei policemen who were standing nearby.
“I said ‘no’ and they made me stay there for four hours. They took me home and then at 7pm that same night, they came and took my husband.”
Mr Shahim said he owned a black car which police claimed, from CCTV footage, had been at the dead couple’s home before their bodies were discovered.
Showing injuries he claimed were sustained during a 12-hour interrogation, Mr Shahim said six police officers were involved in the assault.
“They put bongo chillies in my mouth and told me to say yes. I said I didn’t know what I was saying yes to. Six iTaukei officers punched, kicked and used a baton to assault me.
They said if I say yes, they will leave me alone.” He said after the alleged assault, he was left to spend the night in a cell without medical treatment.
“I told them — I wanted to go to hospital — they said they will take me in the morning. I couldn’t sleep the whole night because of pain.
They said ‘don’t worry, we will take you to Nadroumai (village), a Fijian man will put leaves and you will be healed and don’t go to the hospital.
They took me to Nadroumai the next morning and then they dropped me near the post office in Sigatoka. “I limped home from there.”
Ms Naisoro said Acting Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu had directed a team from Internal Affairs be deployed to the Western Division to investigate. SOURCE: The Fiji Times, 10 March 2021
 It has now been confirmed that only rural and maritime areas like Rotuma, Yasawa, Kadavu, Ovalau, Taveuni and the Lau group will have face to face consultations on the first draft of the Police Bill. Face to face consultations will start next Monday.The Ministry of Defence, National Security and Policing has confirmed that only online submissions will be available for those living in urban areas. Joeli Rokodaveta who is an executive officer and member of the draft Police Bill review team says they are only targeting areas where there is limited internet connectivity. He says they have identified 21 areas for face to face consultations. Rokodaveta says online submissions will close on 3rd April. You can make online submissions on www.defence.gov.fj. Source: FijiVillage News, 10 March 2021 | CURRYING FAVOUR WITH FFP  |
The NGO Coalition says any proposed legislation must pass through the parliamentary standing committee. It says it is not the mandate of the Ministry of Defence and National Security to manage the consultation process nor make amendments to a bill. The NGOs say their handling of this particular draft bill, a bill which is of utmost importance to the freedom and safety of all Fijians, raises serious ethical concerns
The NGO Coalition on Human Rights says this is not the time to rush and pass a Draft Police Bill that gives the Police more powers over individuals when cases of police brutality have yet to be investigated.
The Members of the NGO Coalition include the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre, Fiji Women's Rights Movement, Citizen's Constitutional Forum, femLINKpacific, Social Empowerment and Education Program (SEEP), DIVA for Equality Fiji while Pacific Network on Globalisation and Haus of Khameleon are observers.
A statement released by the coalition says they have repeatedly called for urgent reviews of the investigation processes to be transparent and timely so that justice is upheld.
They ask where in the proposed bill are their concerns addressed and articulated.
The NGO Coalition also says they strongly condemn the blatant disregard of due process by the Government and the audacity to attempt, by assigning the Ministry of Defence and National Security to oversee the Draft Police Bill 2020.
The coalition says any proposed legislation must pass through the parliamentary standing committee.
It says it is not the mandate of the Ministry of Defence and National Security to manage the consultation process nor make amendments to a bill.
The NGOs say their handling of this particular draft bill, a bill which is of utmost importance to the freedom and safety of all Fijians, raises serious ethical concerns.
The coalition says a working democracy must protect and ensure good governance, accountability, transparency and due process at all levels, and even more so when passing laws that will infringe on the fundamental rights and freedoms of every Fijian in this country if passed into law by Parliament.
They say Fiji is facing serious cases of human rights violations where the Police have used excessive force during arrests on individuals.
The coalition says according to data from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, from May 2015 to April 2020, there were 400 police officers who were charged with serious violence offences - this included 16 charges of Rape, 2 charges of Murder and 9 charges of Manslaughter.
They say as a coalition, they have provided input on previous consultation processes on various bills however, when a bill is passed by Parliament, their input into these consultation processes are not included in the new law.
They further say they wonder whether the input of every Fijian to this Draft Police Bill would even matter or make a difference at all.
The coalition says if the government is serious about its international human rights commitments and priorities, then it should not rush this process and genuinely ensure the meaningful engagement of all Fijians and human rights organisations where their concerns are addressed clearly and articulated in the Draft Police Bill 2020.
Minister for Policing Inia Seruiratu has said that the public consultation phase is extremely important because they need to adequately capture and take into consideration the interests, concerns and voices of every Fijian. He said the review of the Fiji Police Force’s primary legislation is part of government’s priorities to be tabled in parliament this year.
Seruiratu said initially, the review process of the Police Act 1965 began in 2019 with an in-house and inter-agency consultation programme where submissions were received from all the five divisional police commanders, directors and inter-agency partners.
Online submissions on the proposed law started on the 26th of last month and will continue for 30 days.
Seruiratu says he will not comment on the draft bill at this stage.
The Members of the NGO Coalition include the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre, Fiji Women's Rights Movement, Citizen's Constitutional Forum, femLINKpacific, Social Empowerment and Education Program (SEEP), DIVA for Equality Fiji while Pacific Network on Globalisation and Haus of Khameleon are observers.
A statement released by the coalition says they have repeatedly called for urgent reviews of the investigation processes to be transparent and timely so that justice is upheld.
They ask where in the proposed bill are their concerns addressed and articulated.
The NGO Coalition also says they strongly condemn the blatant disregard of due process by the Government and the audacity to attempt, by assigning the Ministry of Defence and National Security to oversee the Draft Police Bill 2020.
The coalition says any proposed legislation must pass through the parliamentary standing committee.
It says it is not the mandate of the Ministry of Defence and National Security to manage the consultation process nor make amendments to a bill.
The NGOs say their handling of this particular draft bill, a bill which is of utmost importance to the freedom and safety of all Fijians, raises serious ethical concerns.
The coalition says a working democracy must protect and ensure good governance, accountability, transparency and due process at all levels, and even more so when passing laws that will infringe on the fundamental rights and freedoms of every Fijian in this country if passed into law by Parliament.
They say Fiji is facing serious cases of human rights violations where the Police have used excessive force during arrests on individuals.
The coalition says according to data from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, from May 2015 to April 2020, there were 400 police officers who were charged with serious violence offences - this included 16 charges of Rape, 2 charges of Murder and 9 charges of Manslaughter.
They say as a coalition, they have provided input on previous consultation processes on various bills however, when a bill is passed by Parliament, their input into these consultation processes are not included in the new law.
They further say they wonder whether the input of every Fijian to this Draft Police Bill would even matter or make a difference at all.
The coalition says if the government is serious about its international human rights commitments and priorities, then it should not rush this process and genuinely ensure the meaningful engagement of all Fijians and human rights organisations where their concerns are addressed clearly and articulated in the Draft Police Bill 2020.
Minister for Policing Inia Seruiratu has said that the public consultation phase is extremely important because they need to adequately capture and take into consideration the interests, concerns and voices of every Fijian. He said the review of the Fiji Police Force’s primary legislation is part of government’s priorities to be tabled in parliament this year.
Seruiratu said initially, the review process of the Police Act 1965 began in 2019 with an in-house and inter-agency consultation programme where submissions were received from all the five divisional police commanders, directors and inter-agency partners.
Online submissions on the proposed law started on the 26th of last month and will continue for 30 days.
Seruiratu says he will not comment on the draft bill at this stage.
