Kapawale Convicted for Mass Murder
The court heard that Kapawale killed Kodri and Cagilabakomeli with an axe, then threw them into the sea.
Saturday 12 July 2025 | 01:48
Updated 08 August 2025 | 15:30 FJT
Tevita Qaqa Kapawale outside the High Court in Suva on July 11, 2025. Photo: Ronald Kumar
Tevita Qaqa Kapawale, the man charged for the mass murder of three Indonesian and two Fijian fishing crew members while out at sea, now awaits his sentence.
He was found guilty and convicted by the High Court in Suva on Friday.
Kapawale appeared before Justice Dane Tuiqereqere on five murder charges and one count each of attempted murder and criminal intimidation.
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Justice Tuiqereqere ruled that the State prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Kapawale killed the five men onboard the fishing vessel MV Tiro II on May 18, 2021.
They included chief engineer Eme Warme, chief cook Alfat Kodri, Benjamin Matitatuputty, Samuela Sukera and Qiritivabea Cagilabakomeli.
The prosecution also proved that Kapawale attempted to murder the first key witness, Kaminieli Tucama and criminally intimidated the second key witness, Mitieli Cama.
The court heard that Kapawale killed Kodri and Cagilabakomeli with an axe, then threw them into the sea.
Although there was no crime scene or physical evidence, the court found the stories of Tucama and Cama to be consistent. Justice Dane Tuiqereqere believed their account of how they survived and escaped from the accused.
He said there were similarities found in the account he gave to the Fiji Sun journalist, Ivamere Nataro.
He said both their accounts were “believable and honest”.
He was dissatisfied with the expert witnesses of the defence who gave evidence according to their previous experience at the MV Tiro II. He found their accounts weren’t credible enough to support their case.
Noting that all elements of the criteria of the charges were proven, the court then set a date for sentence hearing on July 29. All parties are to file their submissions by the close of business on July 25.
Kapawale is represented by Legal Aid lawyers, Tobia Ravuniwa and Etonia Veibataki.
The State prosecution was represented by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions principal legal officer, Samisoni Eoghn and Triveshni Sharma.
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