Family members of Tevita Kapawale’s victims are calling for the harshest penalty after he killed five crew members aboard the FV Tiro 2 in 2021.
Family members addressed Kapawale directly in court this morning.
Kelevi Vakuruivalu, the elder brother of victim Qiritavabea Cagilabakomeli, called Kapawale a filthy animal and hopes Kapawale will rot and suffer for life.
Cagilabakomeli’s niece Miliana Seinitorau hopes he will face the full consequences of his actions.
Kapawale was maintaining eye contact with the family members as they gave their victim impact statement.
The State is seeking a life-imprisonment term of 40 to 50 years—a sentence unprecedented in Fiji.
State Counsel, Triveshni Sharma has categorised the case as extremely high because of five counts of murder, extreme brutality and the fact that no bodies have ever been recovered.
The State Counsel told Judge Justice Dane Tuiqereqere that this is first of it's kind case in Fiji.
Sharma says 15 years ago, Deep Chand killed three people, whose bodies were never found.
She says five families continue to grieve, unable to perform the final cultural burial rites.
Sharma further argued that Kapawale remains a threat to the public at large.
She says the victims were forced to jump overboard without life jackets and Kapawale’s intention was to kill everyone on board.
Sharma says there is no scope for rehabilitation as Kapawale has shown no remorse.
Kapawale’s lawyer Tobia Ravuniwa informed the court that he has been unable to communicate with Kapawale and has received no instructions regarding any mitigating factors.
The court found that Kapawale murdered Alfat Kodri and Qiritavabea Cagilabakomeli by striking them with an axe and forced Benjamin Mattaputty, Eme Warma and Samuela Sukera to jump overboard.
The incident took place on May 18th, 2021, following a heated argument among the crew in the Mamanuca and Yasawa waters.
Kapawale’s sentencing hearing continues on the 12th of August in the Suva High Court.
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