As questions arise on whether the 2.64 tonnes of cocaine from the Vatia Wharf bust with an estimated street value of around $3 billion is still intact without being tampered with, both the Police and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions say the drug exhibit remains in Police custody in a secure location.
While answering questions from fijivillage News, the Office of the DPP says the cocaine seized in the Vatia case in January this year remains in police custody under the supervision of the Director CID, with 24 hour security and surveillance measures in place.
When asked on whether the cocaine in this case will be retested based on the $50 million worth of cocaine going missing from the Suva High Court Exhibit Room for the John Nikolic and Joshua Aziz Rahman drug cases, the ODPP says the drugs from Vatia have already been tested, with the results returning positive for cocaine.
They say further testing and weighing may be ordered by the Court as part of the destruction order.
The Office of the DPP also clarifies that the State raised its intention to seek the destruction of the drugs at an early stage of the proceedings.
They say since then, the matter has progressed through the necessary pre-trial processes, including the confirmation of counsel, consolidation of charges and fixing of a hearing date.
These processes also provide the defence with an opportunity, if they wish, to arrange further testing at their own cost before the drugs are destroyed.
The Office of the DPP is now progressing the necessary application for destruction, which is scheduled to be made in court on the 15th of this month.
We are also asking about other drug exhibits following the missing drugs from the Suva High Court Exhibit Room.
The ODPP says from their end, they are unaware of any other cases where drugs that initially tested positive have subsequently returned a negative result on re-testing.
They say as the Commissioner of Police has indicated, a full audit of drug exhibits in their custody will be conducted to establish the position across other cases.
The ODPP says it recognises the importance of the proper and timely management of drug exhibits, particularly given the risks associated with their continued storage.
The ODPP will continue to prioritise the destruction of drug exhibits where they are no longer required for evidential purposes and the necessary legal requirements have been satisfied.
We have also asked Chief Justice Salesi Temo and Chief Registrar Tomasi Bainivalu on whether they will conduct a full audit of all the court exhibits, and test the drug exhibits. They have not responded.
Stay with us for developments.
