The Lautoka High Court has granted the State’s application for the destruction of the $2 billion worth of methamphetamine.
This is in relation to the case of Justin Ho and others who were allegedly found with the illicit drugs in December last year.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in consultation with the Commissioner of Police in its application to Court expressed their “opinion that the physical preservation of all the illicit drugs is not necessary for the purpose of court proceedings and that the seized drugs cannot be safely, securely or conveniently stored until the final determination of the case.”
Justice Aruna Aluthge in his ruling ordered that a police officer not under the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police designated by the COMPOL is authorised to dispose of the illicit drugs by incineration, or other safe means of destruction.
Before the destruction, two weeks’ notice shall be given to the Court and all the Respondents indicating the date, venue and modus operandi of destruction.
Subject to security protocols, the legal counsel of the Respondents may be allowed to observe the destruction.
The process of destruction shall be photographed and preferably video recorded.
To ensure the transparency and judicial supervision of the destruction process, the Office of the DPP may request the Resident Magistrate of the area where the destruction is to take place to observe the destruction process.
The police officer in charge of carrying out the disposal order shall prepare a report signed by him and two witnesses to the disposal stating that the illicit drug has been disposed of in accordance with the order.
The Report/Certificate shall be filed in court no later than two weeks after the destruction.
