ALLEGED ASSAULT ON PRISONER

Former Fiji Corrections Service Acting Commissioner, Senior Superintendent Salote Panapasa said an investigation has been launched for the alleged assault of a prisoner at the Natabua Corrections Centre's Remand Centre in Lautoka.

This follows the plea of the inmate's father, Manueli Sovau, for his son, Meli Codru, 21, to be transferred to the Lautoka Police Station remand cell. Codru is charged with theft. Mr Sovau claimed he saw his son's head injury while attending the court case last this week.

Mr Sovau claimed Codru told him he was assaulted by some prisoners at the Natabua Corrections Centre which resulted in the head injury.

Mr Sovu claims that death threats were also made by the inmates.

"I am pleading to the authority to please let my son be kept for a while at the Lautoka Police Station," Mr Sovu said.

"We are investigating the alleged assault," Ms Panapasa said.

Divisional Police Commander West Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Iakobo Vaisewa said they had not received any report of the allegation.

"We have not received any report from the father of the remand prisoner."

SSP Vaisewa said the police station was not a remand centre.

"It is only a holding cell where we normally keep suspects who are under investigation and those who have been charged and awaiting their court appearance," SSP Vaisewa said

Feedback: mereleki.nai@fijisun.com.fj