Assault victim says Fiji police only acted after media attention

Transcript

A man who says he was beaten after sending texts to Fiji prime minister Frank Bainimarama says the police only took his complaints seriously when he went to the media.

Joseva Bilitaki says he waited for five months to receive information about the use of his songs by Mr Bainimarama's FijiFirst party during campaigning for last month's elections, but his requests were ignored.

Mr Bilitaki told Bridget Tunnicliffe that out of frustration he sent angry texts to Mr Bainimarama last month and later that day was paid a visit.

JOSEVA BILITAKI: But after that, the same night on Friday night police officers came, one police officer had brought in four military intelligence people. They took me, they abused me, they threatened to kill me. One guy when we got off in Suva he came into the back seat, he started hitting my head, my mouth and all that, took my head and banged it on the side of the door on the van. So I spent one night at the Central Police Station, I was locked up in the cell for one night, the whole of Friday night, the whole of Saturday, still no report was received. Then I asked to be taken to a hospital, I had medical attention for five hours before I was admitted in the emergency ward. I was admitted but under police guard all the time. So from Friday night, to Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, up until Wednesday, I was under police guard. On Thursday morning the commissioner of police came to my bed and he assured me and told me that the police would use all its powers to protect me. It was on Friday morning when I saw something different from the newspaper headline, that I was going to be prosecuted for annoyance or something like that, that prompted me to write my statement.

BRIDGET TUNNICLIFFE: During your detention, did any of the officers tell you why you were there? Was there any reference to the texts?

JB: They were telling me something but you know I was so frightened. But they had mentioned that Major Rokouro was the one that ordered the deployment of those people, the military intelligence people that came, that is what they [the police] told me.

BT: So where are things at now, have you made official complaints?

JB: I'm taking that to court, the lawyer is taking that to court.

BT: Have you heard anything recently from the police about their investigation?

JB: Nothing, nothing as yet. For two days now I haven't heard from the investigating officer.

BT: And you are concerned also that the police have the original medical report into your injuries, and you would like to get a photocopy of that.

JB: You see I was never asked for any statement from that Friday, I was never asked for any statement so nothing was ever taken or recorded about what was done to me. Up until when I released my statement on Friday [the following Friday] that's what appeared on Saturday's paper. Silence no more.

Attempts to get an update on the police investigation have so far been unsuccessful.