Peceli Naviticoko 
The Labasa High Court has sentenced 34-year-old Kositino Latianara to life imprisonment for the murder of 27-year-old taxi driver Amitendra Kumar at Waisali Hill in Cakaudrove in 2024.
While delivering his judgment, Justice Lee Burney says the case falls within the high category of murder, considering the seriousness of the offence, the offender’s intention, and the use of a knife as a weapon.
The court heard that on March 18, 2024, Latianara repeatedly stabbed Kumar and slit his throat using a knife he had brought with him. The attack was allegedly carried out after the victim owed him money.
Post-mortem results reveal that Kumar died from severe blood loss and internal bleeding caused by the injuries inflicted during the attack.
Justice Burney says the accused has spent nearly two years in remand since his arrest, and this period will be taken into account, meaning he will be eligible to apply for parole after serving 20 years.
In 2024 Kumar’s taxi was found abandoned along Waisali Hill in Cakaudrove. A search conducted in the surrounding area led to the discovery of the victim’s body further downhill.
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