RELATIVES wept openly in court yesterday when the court sentenced two men to 16 years each in jail for murder
Justice Nazhat Shameem agreed with the three assessors and jailed Netani Nute, 29 and Ilaisa Cava, 29, for the brutal murder of taxi driver Murad Buksh.
Families of the two men could not hold back their tears when the Suva court announced that murder had a mandatory life sentence.
The third accused, Manoa Qalovaki, 22, was acquitted of murder but found guilty on charges of larceny and unlawful use of motor vehicle.
He was sentenced to do 200 hours of community work.
More revelation unfolded toward the end of the trial when Qalovaki told of how Nute and Cava forced him into the dreadful incident after a joyride during the Hibiscus Festival.
Before the verdict was delivered, lawyer Barbara Malimali, in her closing statement, said Qalovaki was tied and threatened not to tell anyone about the incident.
Ms Malimali said Qalovaki was a first offender and was stupid for following Nute and Cava. He was found not guilty of murder. In her judgment Justice Shameem agreed that Qalovaki was not part of the brutal killing.
Buksh, of Laucala Beach, was a father-of-one.
He took three passengers to Veisari between August 24 and 25 where he was robbed and severely beaten. Buksh was found hanging from a bridge with a string around his neck.
The court heard that his killers tried to make police to think that he committed suicide.
Police caught the three when Qalovaki's aunt reported that he had sold a taxi meter.
Nute and Cava were also jailed for seven months for unlawful use of motor vehicle. They will serve the term concurrent to the life sentence. Nute has five previous conviction of larceny and Cava has 22, which include robbery with violence.