Court

Police prosecutors told to bring accused to court on time

February 4, 2019 12:41 pm

Jone Vakarisi

Suva Magistrate Liyange Wikaramasekara has issued a stern warning to police prosecutors today.

Wikaramasekara says it’s the police prosecutors duty to ensure those in remand are produced in court on time.

This comes after there was a misunderstanding between the police escorts and alleged police attacker Jone Vakarisi’s lawyer Aman Ravindra Singh at the Suva Magistrates court today.

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Jone Vakarisi is charged for allegedly attacking police officers at Mead Road in Nabua last year with eight other men.

Magistrate Wikaramasekara says it’s not their duty to bring the accused to court.

Eight of the accused had appeared in court just in time for their hearing however, Vakarisi was absent.

FBC News was in court this morning where his lawyer then requested the Police escorts to bring Vakarisi to court for his case.

When the court hearing resumed, Aman Singh made a special request to Magistrate Wikaramsekara for his client to be brought in court on time.

The Magistrate in response told the police prosecutors to ensure all accused to be brought in on time and not waste the court’s time.

Meanwhile, Vakarisi and eight others have been further remanded and will re-appear on the 13th of this month.

The nine have been charged with failing to produce driving license, failing to obey traffic direction, dangerous driving, and criminal intimidation, damaging property, resisting arrest and driving a motor vehicle without license.

The incident happened near the Mead Road Housing complex in Nabua, Suva in August.

It is alleged that the suspects attacked three police constables and a special constable who were on patrol in Nabua.

It is alleged the officers saw the occupants in two vehicles acting in a suspicious manner and they approached the vehicle and saw the men were armed.

The suspects then sped from the scene and the officers chased them to Mead Road Housing where they blocked the police from the front and back with their vehicles and then struck the police car with iron rods and stones while the officers were inside.