ODPP Serious Crime (Non-Sexual Violence Offences) Statistics – December 2017

The following data is authorised for release by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and relates to the number of formal indictments (Information) filed in the High Courts of Fiji by the Director of Public Prosecutions throughout the month.

This data is confined to incidents of serious crimes other than sexual violence offences which are recorded and published separately.

This data also includes offences committed by police officers. There were 24 people charged with a total of 26 counts of separate incidents in December.

The offences were aggravated robbery (2), aggravated burglary (7), theft (1), damaging property (2), assault causing actual bodily harm (1), disobedience of lawful order (1), unlawful cultivation (1) and criminal intimidation (1). Of the 24 people charged, two were police officers. One police officer was charged with one count of theft.

He is alleged to have stolen one carton of beer worth $53 from a shop in the Northern Division. Another police officer was charged with one count of disobedience of a lawful order whereby he released an accused person despite a committal warrant.

Cash amounts ranged from $15 to $10,000 and assorted items ranged from $300 to over $95,000 were stolen during the alleged aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary offences which consisted of home invasions, office and shop break-ins and daylight street robberies.

The assorted items stolen ranged from handbags, mobile phones, laptops, alcohol, food items, electronic goods and household items.

There were two incidents of damaging property whereby cars were damaged and items such as cash and laptops were stolen. A 34-year-old man was charged with dangerous driving causing grievous harm after he allegedly drove his taxi over a 70-year-old complainant’s foot. A 44-year-old was charged with criminal intimidation after he allegedly threatened his 38- year-old wife and 13-year-old daughter with a cane knife. In another incident a 28-year-old man was charged with assault causing actual bodily harm. He is alleged to have punched and pushed his 26-year-old wife causing her bodily harm.

There was one incident where a 29-year-old was charged with unlawful cultivation.

He is alleged to have cultivated 7kg of cannabis sativa.

The man was apprehended during a Police raid in the Western Division. One case was withdrawn after a discontinuance (Nolle Prosequi) was filed.

This matter was withdrawn because of incomplete investigation.

Refer to the table entitled ODPP Serious Crime (Non-Sexual Violence Offences) Statistics December 2017 for a break-down of these statistics.