The case of a man charged with murder and attempted murder of a soldier and police officer during a shooting in Sawani, Nausori in 2000 has been dismissed by Suva High Court Judge Justice Daniel Goundar.
This after an application made by the Defense Counsel for an inquiry to determine whether Semesa Roko can stand trial on the grounds that he is mentally ill.
In his ruling, Judge Goundar said that the charge against Roko is serious however the seriousness of the charges cannot in anyway diminish his right to a fair trial.
Judge Goundar also said that if an accused is incapable of making a proper defense due to mental illness, the court must make appropriate orders to protect the interest of the accused and of the public.
Judge Goundar said that based on the evidence of St Gilles Hospital Doctor Shish Narayan and the court’s own assessment, he is satisfied that Roko is mentally unfit to stand the trial and ordered for the trial not to proceed further.
Story by: Praneeta Prakash
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Judge dismisses murder case
