The Graffiti Trial Update: 'This Court finds that State has not been able to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the Police conducted themselves fairly. The Accused' have raised reasonable doubts as to their treatment'

29/1/2016

6 Comments

Chief Magistrate Ratuvili: "The Court therefore finds that the [caution] statements were obtained voluntarily however the Police acted unfairly therefore the statements are not admissible as evidence..." The Chief Magistrate ruled that the State failed to produce cell records, meal records etc, and that they could not rebutt the accused persons allegations about ill-treatment, hence he ruled that they acted unfairly...The second Accused [Bulitavu] was asked to sign parts of his caution interview over 2 years after he was interviewed and charged. It is considered by the State that this is irregular..." -
Ratuvili ruling on Voir Dire challenge from Jagath Karunaratne and Mosese Bulitavu, 26 January 2016; Fijileaks: Full ruling soon

From Fijileaks Archive, 2 November 2015

He told Chief Magistrate, Usaia Ratuvili that Brown had said to his officers that when his beaten up black and blue, Karunaratne would not know what to do. Karunaratne further claimed in court that Brown had also said that he will be hung upside-down by a telephone wire and he will not be sitting as he is sitting. DPP lawyer Lisiate Fotofili then put to Karunarate that he has fabricated these things but Karunaratne maintained that he was threatened and intimidated by Police officers while in custody.

AC Henry Brown Update:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-28/senior-fiji-policeman-flees-to-australia-in-fear/7122038

http://www.fijileaks.com/home/hounded-out-assistant-police-commissioner-henry-brown-resigns-ending-30-years-of-illustrious-police-career-informs-qiliho-the-team-tasked-to-investigate-him-brown-are-facing-criminal-and-other-charges

THE INTERNET CAFE OWNER AND PLOTTERS UPDATE: We will reveal more extracts from his Police Statement revealing the conspiracy between Qiliho, Khaiyum and Minister Rosy Akbar to fabricate evidence in the destabilization plot!

6 Comments

Lord Buddha

29/1/2016 10:19:09 am

Karma seems to have caught up with ACP Brown.

He himself is fleeing from his Police and Military Tormentors

Good on you Jagath for telling us about Brown - the former BIG BOSS!

He should have known better - DOG EAT DOG in Karmic cycle!

Who is next?

Rajend Naidu

29/1/2016 07:46:23 pm

Editor,
Here is a piece that would resonate with Fijileaks and Fiji politics watchers.
We learn from Reuters 29/01 that a Chinese court jailed a human rights lawyer and 2 activists for up to 5 years in what critics see as an intensifying crackdown on dissent under President Xi Jinping.
Tang Jingling44, a prominent human rights lawyer and activist in the city of Guangzhou was charged with " inciting subversion of state power " as well as publishing books on democracy.
Human rights groups and some western countries have expressed repeated concern about a widening campaign to quash dissent among academics, journalists and social activists.
Patrick Poon a researcher with Amnesty International said " their peaceful and legitimate work never threatened state security, this is solely about authorities arbitrarily silencing government critics".
As part of the indictment against the men, they were accused of distributing books by Gene Sharp a US academic who promotes systems of non violent action to build democracy.
Tang repeatedly denied the charges insisting his rights and legal work and advocacy of reforms were meant to bolster social justice and the rule of law.
Outside the court Tang's wife Wang Yanfang said " this verdict is unacceptable. They violated no laws, and the charges are politically motivated... They were only trying to help society".
China rejects any criticism of its human rights record.
That is what authoritarian regimes do. We had some of our honourables over in Geneva to defend the human rights record of the Bainimarama dictatorship, remember?
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

Chiku

29/1/2016 09:51:25 pm

Former police commissioner Ben Groenwald told ABC Pacific Beat that Assistant Commissioner of Police Henry Brown has fled the country fearing for his life after he was sent on leave .
And the pathetic journalist in the Fiji Times reports approvingly that " in response without mincing his words the Acting Commissioner of Police said Mr Groenwald and Mr Brown were nothing to the force "They're nothing ' 30/01).
That's from someone who has become something in the force courtesy of the coupist dictator of Fiji and military mate Frank Bainimarama.
Qiliho, a military man, has been installed as Acting Police Commissioner over the head of senior career police officers under the " merit system" the Bainimarama regime chamcha Ashneel Sudhakar boasts about.
What a shameless lot.

Vili

30/1/2016 04:22:24 am

Very true Chiku. Brown is a human being with rights enshrined under the Constitution.

He, or anyone else for that matter, cant simply be written off as being 'nothing'.

It just goes to show how much respect this clown COMPOL has of others.

Rajend Naidu

30/1/2016 08:20:13 pm

Editor,
Reading Arti Verma's letter of adoration titled ' PM's beard ' ( Fiji Times 30/01 ) reminded me of women writing letters to German newspapers and to Adolf Hitler to say they wanted to have a baby with the Fuhrer...
I wonder why.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

Rajend Naidu

30/1/2016 08:59:08 pm

Editor,
Writing to the Canberra Times ( 30/01 ) Patrick O'Hara says " ... Tony Abbot, arguably Australia's worst prime minister..."
Many Australians of a different political persuasion will argue against that description of the prime minister ousted in a party coup.
Prime Mnisters come and prime Mnisters go. The important thing in a democracy is citizens must feel free to speak their minds on what they think of their prime minister or any other political figure.
Fiji will have reached that stage in its transition to democracy when the Fiji Times can publish a letter that says " Frank Bainimarama, arguably Fiji's worst prime Mnister". Currently the Fiji Times and other mainstream media in Fiji only publish ' PM's beard ' kind of sycophantic letters reminiscent of the ' Dear Leader' phenomenon in totalitarian states.
That is telling of the quality of democracy prevalent in Fiji at this time.
Sincerely,
Rajend Naidu

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