Judge warns murder accused supporters over alleged witness interference

Death threats allegedly sent to the family of deceased Vimal Nand have raised fresh concerns in the High Court in Lautoka as the court prepares to consider bail for two men charged over his death.

Justice Riyaz Hamza warned the accused and their supporters against any attempt to interfere with witnesses or the complainant, stressing that such conduct could have serious consequences for bail.

The warning came during the hearing of 20-year-old Ratu Kinijoji Ratuva and his 51-year-old father, Ratu Vula Ratuva.

The pair are jointly charged with one count of murder and one count of assault, while Kinijoji faces an additional assault charge.

The charges relate to the death of Nand following an alleged assault along the Queens Highway in Nadroga on August 9.

The court heard that Nand and two 16-year-old boys were allegedly assaulted during the incident. Nand later died from injuries allegedly sustained in the assault.

Nand’s 16-year-old son was reportedly present and is expected to be a key State witness.

'We know where you live'

State prosecutor Joeli Naivalu told the court that members of Nand’s family received threatening messages after the previous court appearance.

One message allegedly stated: “How long will the police protect you? We know where you live.”

The sender of the messages has not been identified. The State sought leave to file a supplementary affidavit to formally place the alleged threats before the court.

Justice Hamza expressed concern over the messages. “It is worrying, these threatening messages,” he said.

The judge warned all parties and supporters of the accused to avoid any direct or indirect interference with witnesses or the complainant.

He said any such interference could be taken into account when bail is considered.

The State was granted leave to file the supplementary affidavit by Thursday. All affidavits and supporting material must also be filed and served by then.

Horse theft allegation preceded incident

The court heard that the alleged confrontation followed the reported theft of three horses.

Kinijoji had been assisting his parents with their horse-riding business, which provides services to tourists staying at nearby resorts.

The family business reportedly employs five people and owns 13 horses.

The court was told that the accused allegedly confronted the victims following the horse thefts. It was also alleged that Kinijoji was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

Ratu Vula is a senior pastor and a former professional rugby player who represented Fiji overseas.

Kinijoji, a New Zealand citizen, was born in New Zealand while his father was playing professional rugby there. He later travelled to Fiji to assist with the family business.

Defence challenges video interviews

Both accused pleaded not guilty to all charges. Defence lawyer Edwin Wainiqolo indicated that the defence intends to challenge the admissibility of video-recorded caution interviews.

The court also heard that there were partial admissions by the accused. The State proposed preparing agreed facts, which could reduce reliance on the recorded interviews if both sides reach agreement.

The bail hearing is scheduled on Friday while the next substantive hearing is set for October 19.