The Attorney General Siromi Turaga says he is determined to find out what happened and who is responsible for the case of alleged brutality in one of its Fiji Corrections Service facilities.
Turaga said as Minister Responsible for Justice and since the Fiji Corrections Service falls under his purview, he will meet officers next week, following the incident of alleged brutality on a 20-year-old who was remanded at the Suva’s Remand Centre.
He confirmed that a report was received by his office from the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination, which he has not gone through.
“While the Criminal Investigations Department is carrying out its own investigation into the matter, an internal investigation is also being carried simultaneously out by the Fiji Corrections Service. The Fiji Corrections Service and I hope that we find out actually what transpired and who is responsible.”
“We cannot deny that there were injuries sustained by remandee. The medical report speaks for itself. You cannot dispute that.”
He said Government does not condone such incidents and I will be speaking with officers next week to address these issues.
The Attorney-General said that he has ordered the Acting Commissioner for Prisons Salote Panapasa to see some officers from all the prison facilities.
“The fact that those officers were not present, that’s not the issue because it was publicized. I think we have to put this in perspective, it’s been 16 years and some of these officers when they started this are what they learnt,” he added.
Turaga said the law will be followed, and any additional allegations will be referred to the relevant authority for investigations.
He added that this alleged incident occurred weeks after taking up office.
