Five men appeared in the Suva Magistrates Court in the last hour as investigations continue on who assisted the five prisoners to escape from the Naboro medium facility.
Kunal Prasad, Rajeshwar Dutt, Mike Mateyawa and Isoa Kubunalagi who are charged with aggravated robbery, appeared before Chief Magistrate Usaia Ratuvili.
Meanwhile, Ifereimi Sauqesa and Isoa Kubunalagi are charged with harbouring an escapee.
Bail has been refused and the five have been remanded in custody.
The case has also been transferred to the High Court and will be heard on the 5th of October.
It has also been confirmed that the four prisoners who were recaptured on Friday are in hospital and they were not able to appear in court today.
The five escaped at about 8.30pm last Monday and four of them – 28-year-old Solomoni Qurai who was serving a life sentence for burglary and murder, 29-year-old Tevita Sugu who was serving a 13 year sentence for aggravated robbery, 25-year-old Josaia Usumaki who was serving a 26 year sentence for robbery with violence and related offences and 30-year-old Epeli Qaraniqio who was serving 8 years for robbery with violence - were caught on an island off Uduya Point on Friday.
Police said two people assisted them by providing a boat to the prisoners.
It has also been confirmed that the prisoners’ location was revealed through investigations and information provided by some of the accomplices.
The hunt continues for the fifth prisoner Isoa Waqa.
On to the investigations on the breakout.
The Police Force’s chief operations officer said many deals have taken place in the background in relation to the prison breakout and the robberies connected to them.
In an interview with Fijivillage today, acting assistant Police commissioner Rusiate Tudravu said as they hunt for the fifth prisoner Isoa Waqa who is still on the run, they are also gathering all the information in relation to the breakout last Monday and the people who are assisting these prisoners.
It is understood that two men who were allegedly involved in the BSP Samabula branch robbery also allegedly assisted the prisoners to escape from the Naboro medium facility on Monday night.
The incidents that occurred after the breakout include the 8 seater van stolen from Lower Ragg Avenue which was later found in Cunningham, the Wishbone Restaurant robbery at Centerpoint, the robbery at a doctor’s house in Muanikau, a robbery at the Suva Peninsula Hotel and the BSP Samabula robbery on Wednesday afternoon.
ACP Tudravu had earlier confirmed that there is a link between the BSP robbery and the prison escape.
Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama said every effort is being made to catch Isoa Waqa and the Prime Minister said he shares the community’s outrage at the circumstances of the escape and the fear sparked after the series of robberies that followed.
Police checkpoints have been set up at various locations as the hunt continues for Waqa.
Story by: Vijay Narayan & William Waqavakatoga
Feature
5 men appear as prison escape investigation continues
