Court

Witness testify in alleged police brutality case

September 28, 2022 5:40 am

A witness in the trial against four suspended police officers yesterday informed the court that she saw a group of police officers punching and kicking Inoke Lagicere.

The police officers are standing trial for assaulting Naqia villager Inoke Lagicere in April 2020.

The prosecution witness said the officers forced Lagicere to sit down, and they then started punching his face and kicking his hips.

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She said the victim was her cousin, and from a distance, she could tell that the person being assaulted was Lagicere.

Sevanaia Narogi is charged with one count of act with intent to cause grievous harm, assault causing actual bodily harm, and common assault.

Kameli Tukana is charged with one count of assault causing actual bodily harm and common assault.

Mafoa Korosaya and Inoke Nagata are each charged with one count of assault causing actual bodily harm.

The witness also stated that Lagicere was helpless and could not react to what the officers were doing to him.

She said she could hear some villagers screaming at the officers to stop assaulting Lagicere because he was a human being and not an animal.

The defense counsel in this case will cross-examine the prosecution witness today at the High Court in Suva.