Man who allegedly robbed taxi driver, shopkeeper fronts court

A man accused of robbing a taxi driver and a shopkeeper appeared before Justice Lee James Burney at the High Court in Labasa yesterday.

Sekove Asama is accused of two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of theft of a motor vehicle.

A total of eight witnesses gave evidence in the High Court.

The court heard that Asama, along with two other suspects, allegedly stole a vehicle with registration number LT7072, a mobile phone and $600 cash belonging to Jason Sami on January 29 in Labasa.

The total value of the stolen items was $22,999.

The court was also told that the following day the suspects allegedly entered Rajesh Kumar’s shop in Savusavu and stole assorted items, including packets of cigarettes, mobile recharge cards and a mobile phone valued at $6,942.50.

Shop owner Rajesh Kumar, who appeared as the first witness, told the court that the suspects had visited his shop twice about a month earlier when they came to sell coconuts.

He said one of the suspects placed a knife against his back and tied his hands with a shoe lace.

Kumar said the suspects took cash from the register and smashed the CCTV camera and a television set.

The trial continues this week at the High Court in Labasa.