10 Dec 2003

Fiji police investigate murder of four near Ba

6:19 am on 10 December 2003

Fifty police in Fiji are now investigating the murders of four people found dead early yesterday at a cane farm near Ba.

The four were two indigenous Fijian women, a Fijian man and an Indo-Fijian man.

A police spokesman, Mesake Koroi, says only two of the victims have been identified.

"It appears to be a case of sexually related, but that is still to be investigated. The pathologist confirms they may have died as a result of being hit on the head with what they believe to be a blunt instrument. I suppose we can say its pretty unusual for four at one go, but that area is renowned for as a drinking spot."

Mesake Koroi says they have found a bloodstained van a kilometre from the crime scene.

The mayor of Ba, Praveen Bala, says people in the town are frightened and saddened by the killings.

Well at the moment people are really frightened I would say. They are all very frightened when they heard this murder case when the news went around and people are really saddened.