Too early to make comments on Pacific Habour  inquiry into brutality

Police Commissioner Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho has taken a fresh approach in assessing Police investigations by yesterday attending a court case in Lautoka.

Commissioner Qiliho attended the High Court trial of eight former Police officers and one ex-military officer charged in relation to the alleged rape and sexual assault of a robbery suspect, Vilikesa Soko, which resulted in his death.

Commissioner Qiliho said he decided to listen to the court proceedings as he was in Lautoka and this was to assist him on what Police could do better in future and learn from the errors for a better Fiji.

He said this would assist him to know how best to handle such situations so that Police could focus on what they could do best.

“Speaking about Police brutality in that light, I cannot just be making statements if I do not know what really transpired in such cases,” Brigadier-General Qiliho.

“I haven’t seen the investigations or anything that is all before the court, so like everybody sitting in the court, it is also my first time experience too.

“I do not normally attend court sessions but it is an interesting thing to sit in and see how things go. So it’s a learning platform for me as well.”

Commissioner Qiliho also said it was premature to make any statement concerning to the alleged act of Police brutality caught on camera at Pacific Harbour.

“The investigation in regards to that is continuing, it would be premature to make any statements now because if these have to be taken to court as a result of the investigation, I cannot be making statements on that,” he said.

However, he said the Police would make a statement once investigations were completed.

Edited by Rusiate Mataika

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