The third defence witness, Eroni Takape, told Suva Magistrates Court yesterday that he had met Mosese Bulitavu in August 2011.

Their first encounter was in a vehicle but there was no discussion, Mr Takape said.

He was giving evidence in a case where Bulitavu and Jagath Karunaratne are charged with seditious comments in public in 2011. They have pleaded not guilty.

When asked by the State lawyer, Michael Delany, Mr Takape said the reason he agreed to do the work of spray painting in public places was because he could earn more money as he was selling pies, tea and repairing bicycles to earn a living.

Mr Takape said during a kava session, he was told of the task to do and was given a piece of paper of things to write down on the wall by Eparama Rokotakala, an employee of Worker Film in Raiwaqa.

Mr Delany asked him about the exact words that he wrote on the various locations along the Suva and Nausori corridor.

Mr Takape replied he couldn’t recall fully as he had injured his head two weeks before in a bicycle accident.

Takape said  he did not execute a plan to burn Government properties, a generator at the FDB site, Government vehicles, including a Police Post in Colo-i-Suva, because he was frightened.

The trial will continue today.

Edited by Naisa Koroi

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