Josefa Sigavolavola 
[Photo: FILE]
The trial involving six people charged in connection with a series of drug raids continued today, with the defence questioning the evidence linking the second accused, Gina Choi, to the alleged offences.
During cross-examination of a police crime scene officer, the defence counsel challenged the handling of exhibits and the chain of custody, suggesting standard evidence management procedures were not properly followed.
The officer, who was responsible for photographing exhibits recovered during the operation, agreed that exhibits should be photographed, sealed, labelled and documented to preserve the integrity of the chain of custody.
The Defence counsel then put to the witness that those procedures were not carried out consistently and questioned whether the photographic evidence accurately reflected the handling of the exhibits.
The defence further asserted that Choi was not present during the execution of one of the search warrants, was never found in possession of drugs, cash or other alleged proceeds, and was later questioned before being released by the investigating team.
The witness agreed that Choi was not present during the execution of one of the searches and confirmed she was released after being questioned.
Defence counsel also told the court that only photographs of the alleged exhibits had been disclosed to the defence and that the physical exhibits had not been made available for inspection.
In re-examination, the prosecution questioned the officer about the execution of the search warrants and the procedures followed in photographing and documenting the exhibits recovered during the investigation.
The trial continues.
