The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Com­mission’s (FHRADC) appli­cation to intervene in the matter of two suspended Police officers facing murder charges has been dismissed.

Kelepi Duri Tautaumacala Kolini­sau and Ratu Selema Steven Dennis Tikoenaburevere charged in con­nection with the death of Kiuva vil­lager Josua Lalauvaki, 26, appeared before High Court judge Justice Vinsent Perera yesterday.

They are jointly charged with one count of murder.

The two suspended Police officers allegedly assaulted Mr Lalauvaki after an altercation outside a Suva nightclub on September 2, 2018.

Mr Lalauvaki died at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital on October 11, 2018, as a result of injuries he suffered from the alleged assault.

In court yesterday, Justice Perera told Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission’s law­yer Romanu Vananalagi that the FHRADC’s application to intervene in the matter and or act as an inter­ested party in the case was miscon­ceived.

He warned the lawyer not to con­tinue with a similar type of conduct in future and dismissed the applica­tion for the Human Rights Commis­sion to intervene in the matter.

State prosecutor from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Swastika Sharma told the court that the agreed facts were yet to be sorted before the trial proper.

She asked to be given two weeks to finalise the agreed facts.

The matter was adjourned to May 9 for mention.

Bail was extended for both ac­cused persons.

Edited by Epineri Vula