THE four suspended police officers on trial for an incident where a Naqia villager in Wainibuka was allegedly thrown off a bridge in Tailevu in April 2020 have all been found guilty and convicted.
Sevanaia Narogi, Kameli Tukana, Mafoa Korosaya and Inoke Nagata were brought for judgment before Justice Siainiu Fa’alogo-Bull in the High Court in Suva yesterday.
While passing her judgment, Justice Fa’alogo-Bull said prosecution’s evidence proved that Mr Inoke Lagicere was coming back from his farm when he came across Narogi on the bridge.
She said Mr Lagicere was holding on to his cane knife which Narogi pulled from his hand resulting in the victim injuring his index, middle and ring finger.
“When it was pulled from his hand, he felt weak and became unconscious,” Justice Fa’alogo-Bull said. “When he regained consciousness, this person (Narogi) was holding his collar and soaking him face down in the river under the bridge, he didn’t know how he ended up under the bridge.
“This person then held his injured hand bent behind his back, grabbed his T-shirt and pushed him up the hill.
“There were other people at the road and when he was taken there, these people punched him on his cheeks and kicked him on his thigh and rib cage, he fell to the ground and asked for help begging to live.”
She said she believed in the witnesses’ accounts of that night’s event that Narogi had grabbed hold of Lagicere’s T-shirt and pants and threw him over the bridge.
“I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that all the four accused were with Inoke Lagicere behind the bus stop. I find it proved beyond reasonable doubt that Inoke Lagicere was physically assaulted behind the bus stop.”
Narogi was found guilty and convicted with one count of act with intent to cause grievous harm and three counts of common assault.
Tukana, Korosaya and Nagata were all found guilty and convicted with one count of common assault each. The four have been remanded in custody and will have their sentence hearing on December 8, 2022 via Skype.
