Wanted officer walks out of court

LAUTOKA – A Fiji military officer, who is wanted over a high profile assault-in-custody charge, has appeared in a separate rape case in court in Lautoka and walked out on bail.

Pita Matairavula was among nine people charged with last year’s rape of a civilian who later died in hospital.

He was allowed to leave the court in Lautoka yesterday – a day after police said they had made no progress in tracking him down over his failure to appear in court last week in relation the videoed beating of a prisoner in 2012.

Last week, Matairavula failed to appear in court in Suva after being charged with four others of assaulting the prison escapee three years ago.

Matairavula, who has worked as the prime minister Frank Bainamarama’s personal security officer, was again absent from the court hearing in Suva yesterday, when his four co-accused were remanded in custody.

One of the four in remand in Suva has also been charged in the rape case that was up for mention in the court in Lautoka on Thursday.

The 2012 assault of the escapee was recorded on video and released online two years ago, prompting international condemnation. - PNC