SUVA – Fiji military officer, Pita Matairavula, charged with sexual assault in a high profile case was due in court yesterday to hear if he would be granted bail.

He was charged last month along with a soldier and three policemen over the alleged beating and sexual assault of an escaped prisoner three years ago.

The incident was recorded in a video which drew international condemnation when it was put on the internet in 2013.

Matairavula was arrested only last week and remanded in custody after he failed to attend two court hearings with the four co-accused in Suva.

Both the prosecution and the police said he absconded and was harboured by the military.

Matairavula has been a long-serving member of the Fiji military and worked as Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama’s personal security officer.

The military has denied interfering in the police work.

Last week, it moved to recruit three of the co-accused, who were suspended police officers, saying they had been abandoned.

Both the military leadership and the prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, have vowed to stand by the suspects.

The chain of events has led to the resignation of Fiji’s Police Commissioner Ben Groenewald.

Groenewald has confirmed that the military stopped police from entering police barracks to arrest Matairavula.

Groenewald told Fiji TV that the military harboured Matairavula, describing the numerous problems in apprehending him as “straightforward preventing the course of justice”.

He said this interference in police work was one reason why he resigned this week.

Last week, Matairavula’s lawyer said his client, who had skipped court twice in a week, had not been on the run.

While Matairavula was wanted by police in Suva last month, he appeared in a Lautoka court in a rape case and was granted bail.

Fiji Broadcasting has reported the military’s acting military commander, Rear Admiral, Viliame Naupoto, denying claims by Groenewald that the military interfered with police work.

“Look, I’m not sure what he’s referring too, but the last thing we want is for us to interfere in police work.

“They have a job to do and we expect them to do it professionally, we have our own role to perform and we need to do that properly, our roles complement each other.”

However, Fiji Broadcasting said Groenewald is being quoted by overseas media saying that the military stopped his men from arresting a military officer wanted for sexual assault charges.

In response, Naupoto says he’s not sure what the former police commissioner is talking about.

In the meantime, Land Forces Commander Colonel Sitiveni Qiliho has been appointed Acting Commissioner of Police. He’s expected to comment on the issue next week.

- PNC sources