Litia Cava 
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Three former prison officers have been jailed for the violent death of a remandee at the Natabua Correctional Centre in 2020.
Onisimo Raboiliku, the most senior of the trio was sentenced to four years in prison with a non-parole period of two years.
His subordinates, Semesa Bulikalogata and Navitalai Kanavo, were each sentenced to three years, with 18 months to be served before parole eligibility.
Jone Masirewa, who had just entered custody, died after being brutally assaulted while in quarantine.
He had allegedly sworn at officers from his cell the night before.
In response, Raboiliku ordered his subordinates to “discipline” him. The court found that Raboiliku also struck Masirewa on the head with the metal nozzle of a fire hose.
All three were cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter.
High Court judge Justice Aruna Aluthge described the killing as a gross abuse of power and a serious breach of duty.
He said the officers’ actions were deliberate, not impulsive and done while Masirewa was at their mercy.
Raboiliku later tried to cover up the assault by having the victim cleaned and the scene washed before investigators arrived.
The court recognised some mitigating factors, including the five-year delay in proceedings, the men’s clean records, and their personal circumstances.
But Justice Aluthge said these did not excuse the loss of life or the failure of the officers to protect someone in their care.
He rejected calls for suspended sentences, stating the justice system must send a clear message, violence in custody will not be tolerated.
“This was not a drunken brawl or a crime of passion. This was violence against a defenceless man in state custody.”
The men have 30 days to appeal.
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