A major development this afternoon as fijivillage News can now confirm that all the cocaine bars weighing 39.5kg and worth $31 million from Fiji-Canadian national Joshua Aziz Rahman’s case have been tampered with and the bars in the Suva High Court Exhibit Room do not contain cocaine.
This means that 39 bars of cocaine are now missing.
We have been told that the 32 remaining bars that were in the exhibit room was filled with flour.
fijivillage News has been following this issue for a few weeks after serious concerns being raised about how drug exhibits are being stored, and the procedures surrounding that.
While answering our questions, Police have today confirmed that forensic tests conducted on the remaining drug exhibits have all returned negative which means that it is not cocaine.
Police confirm that the exhibits have all been tampered with and the investigation is focused on those directly charged with the management of the exhibits at the High Court Registry in Suva.
A person of interest allegedly involved in this shocking incident is currently overseas, and Police say the person will be questioned.Â
Two weeks ago, the Criminal Investigations Department launched an investigation following the discovery of missing cocaine exhibits kept in the custody of the Suva High Court.
fijivillage News was alerted earlier this month about the missing cocaine.Â
We had then asked Police and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Office of the DPP said they were not aware of the allegations but we should check with Police as they are responsible for exhibits including storing and securing drugs.
We were told on the 14th of this month that the drugs were not missing.
However, Assistant Commissioner of Police Crime Loraini Seru said on the 16th of this month that a physical check of the exhibits was conducted on the 15th, in the presence of senior judiciary officials, a senior official from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Police and an officer from the Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) capturing the inspection process.
It was discovered that the exhibits linked to a high-profile drug case had allegedly been tampered with.
It was also discovered that seven bars were missing from the initial thirty-nine exhibited to the Suva High Court Exhibit Room.
The Supreme Court had earlier restored Fiji-Canadian national Joshua Aziz Rahman’s conviction and sentence imposed by the High Court over the 39.5kg of cocaine worth $31 million found at a Caubati home in 2019.
The High Court sentenced Rahman to 23 years imprisonment in October 2021, with a non-parole period of 14 years, following his conviction.
We have asked Police whether the person who removed the cocaine bars from the High Court Exhibit Room has been identified, and whether the person is an employee of the Judicial Department.
We have asked whether CCTV cameras were placed where the drugs went missing and whether the person fled the country.
fijivillage News has also asked for comments from Police on why the cocaine was still in storage after Joshua Aziz Rahman was sentenced in 2021 and why the drug was not destroyed after the case.
We have also asked when the High Court knew that the drugs were missing.
Chief Justice Salesi Temo had earlier said the prosecution failed to apply for the destruction of 39.5kg of cocaine during the early stages of the drug case.
He said those responsible for the missing exhibits will be taken to task.
Stay with us for developments.
