29 Nov 2016

No charges or follow up yet after alleged Fiji police beating

7:24 am on 29 November 2016

A Fijian man who claims he was beaten by up to five police officers while in custody just over a month ago says no charges have so far been pressed against him.

Ricardo Fisher was hospitalised with fractured ribs at the end of October after a night in a police cell following his arrest in Suva.

He says he presented himself at court last Thursday as ordered after being charged with disorderly behaviour and resisting arrest but he says he was told by the Court Registry the police had not yet brought the charges.

Ricardo Fisher in hospital in Suva, Fiji

Ricardo Fisher at a hospital in Suva Photo: Supplied

Mr Fisher says police have also not followed up with him after he filed a police complaint that he'd been beaten.

"I'm going to wait to see if they push with the charges for the drunk and disorderly and the resist arrest stuff, then I'll push on with the beating because, I mean in my defence - resist arrest - I was resisting getting beaten, wasn't I?"

Mr Fisher says he has been unable yet to resume his work as a commercial diver because he is still sore from the beating.

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