Five police officers have been suspended with half pay and could all lose their jobs pending the outcome of investigations by the Internal Affairs Department after the Director of Public Prosecutions Christopher Pryde highlighted issues of alleged inaction which led to two cases to be discontinued in court.
Four of the officers are under investigation for the first case where the DPP had to ask the High Court to issue an arrest warrant to compel the attendance of a Police officer and two witnesses to appear in court.
They were supposed to appear in court for a home invasion case from 2018 that resulted in serious injuries to the two male victims and one female victim who were attacked with a cane knife and pinch bar in their home.
The DPP says as a result of the failure of police officers to adequately caution the accused and as a result of the police officer’s failure to attend court, he had no option but to file to discontinue the matter in court.
The fifth police officer is being investigated for allegedly losing critical evidence in the street mugging case of an elderly woman at the Suva Bus Stand in September.
The DPP had to file to discontinue the case in the Suva High Court after police lost critical evidence and the Suva City Council deleted the CCTV footage.
Acting Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu says a lot of time and resources are directed towards an investigation, and failure to secure a positive outcome for the Prosecution is a bad reflection on the Fiji Police Force if the investigative processes were not followed.
He says he will not condone lazy officers as all are paid to serve the public honestly and dutifully and those who cannot, are not fit to be part of the policing profession.
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