Former Fiji elite troops
had guns: Witness
Tues. 16.2.10
Former CRW soldiers told undercover intelligence officers that they had the guns to assassinate Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama, a prosecution witness informed the Suva High Court today.Territorial Force soldier Luke Toa was giving evidence in the trial of eight men accused of trying to assassinate Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama. Toa told the court he heard one of the accused Barbados Mills tell military intelligence officer Peniasi Kuli that they had the guns. Toa asked Mills why he didn’t bring the guns with him so they could use it for their planned training exercise. He said Kuli then asked Mills if these were the guns from Vanua Levu but Mills said no. Defence lawyers questioned Toa why he didn’t follow up with Mills about the whereabouts of the guns.Toa says he couldn’t because the meeting lasted only ten minutes before they dispersed.Toa adds that he didn’t enquire any further about the guns because he was more preoccupied with uncovering the assassination plot.Kuli and Toa said in their testimony they were sent undercover by the Military to gather information from former CRW soldiers about the whereabouts of missing guns.
Link.
Kill Methods Unveiled Before Court
Wed. 17.2.10 11:30am
A sniper shot, food poisoning or motor vehicle collision were possible ways to remove Fiji’s Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and members of his Cabinet, Fiji’s High Court heard today. State witness Major Isireli Narawa said he recommended these types of assassination methods to the group on trial while acting undercover for the military.
When cross examined by defence lawyer Iqbal Khan, Narawa said that was what he had mentioned in his statement to police.“The statement was given in the context of the operation we were doing,” he said. Narawa, who is the army Chief Staff Officer Intelligence, said the idea to trick the accused on trial into believing he was genuine was suggested by Corporal Peniasi Kuli, the army mole that first uncovered the alleged assassination plans.Khan then asked Narawa whether their aim then was still to locate the missing arms from the 1987 and 2000 coups, as alleged earlier. Link.
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Defense Counsel questions report
Wed. 17.2.10 Noon
The credibility and accuracy of reports compiled by the Military Officer sent to gather information on the plot to assassinate Commodore Bainimarama and others was scrutinized by the Defense Counsel this morning. In cross examination, Defense Counsel Iqbal Khan questioned the Head of the Military Intelligence Unit, Major Isireli Narawa, as to how accurate and credible the information being brought to him by Lance Corporal Peniasi Kuli really was.In going over the report, Khan asked Narawa if the information was credible because two issues highlighted in the report said otherwise.
Khan stated that the report said that Ballu Khan had the missing weapons and ammunition, however no weapons were found and also Kuli had stated that Apisai Tora would be bringing the guns and ammunition however this also never happened.
Narawa replied that he trusted his source and all information given to him.Khan also questioned Narawa as to why the fourteenth report compiled by Sergeant Waqa on the alleged meetings with the Qaranivalu were never given to the Police when he gave his statement on the 3rd of November 2007. Khan asked Narawa why he only gave his Power Point presentation as this was only a summarised version of the fourteen reports given by Sergeant Waqa on the alleged meeting, to which Narawa replied that, at that time, the Police only asked for the Power Point presentation.Khan then asked Narawa why the fourteen detailed reports were given later on the 28th of August 2008 and not given when he gave his first statement. Narawa maintained that the Police just asked for the Power Point presentation.
The case continues. Link.
Kill trial witness unreliable: Defence
Wed. 17.2.10
The credibility of a state witness in the trial of eight men accused of plotting to assassinate Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama was questioned today by defence lawyers.
Defence lawyer Iqbal Khan told the High Court that prosecution witness Lance Corporal Peniasi Kuli’s credibility was questionable as a source for the military intelligence unit.
Khan, in cross examining another state witness, the head of military intelligence, Major Isireli Narawa, said Kuli allegedly gave wrong information to the army. As an example, Khan said Kuli had told military intelligence that Ballu Khan and Apisai Tora would provide the weapons for the planned assassination of the Prime Minister.Khan says this never happened and no weapons have been found.
However Major Narawa refuted Khan’s claims and told the court that he had faith in his source, and found the information provided by Kuli as very reliable.
The trial continues this afternoon with submissions from the three defense lawyers.
The trial continues before Justice Paul Madigan and five local assessors.
Link.
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