Tawase discharged without conviction after special verdict
He was released under provisions of the Mental Health Act and will undergo compulsory community treatment.
Wednesday 02 September 2026 | 11:00
Samuela Tawase outside the Suva Courthouse.
Photo: Ronald Kumar
A man charged over an alleged sacrilege at the Samabula Shiv Mandir Temple in Suva has been discharged without a conviction this morning.
Samuela Tawase underwent a special verdict hearing, during which the Suva Magistrate Court found that he had been suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the offending.
He was released pursuant to Sections 57 and 60 of the Mental Health Act 2010 after Acting Medical Superintendent Dr Kiran Gaikwad recommended compulsory community treatment and issued a strict warning against relapse.
Related stories
St Giles Psychiatric Hospital will closely monitor his recovery beginning tomorrow.
Read more in tomorrow's Fiji Sun print edition.
