One of seven Fiji corrections
officers alleged to have been involved in the assault of an
Australian citizen at the Lautoka Remand Centre has been
charged.
The Corrections Service suspended all seven
officers last week, after a video depicting a brutal assault
of a prisoner by officers in Lautoka went viral on Fijian
social media.
The incident occurred on June 14th,
according to the timestamp in the footage.
One of the
officers, Asaeli Sorovaki, appeared in court on assault
charges on Monday. He was granted bail with his case
adjourned to September 7th, according to Fiji
Village.
The others have yet to see their day in
court.
It’s also been revealed that the remand
prisoner allegedly beaten by the officers is an Australian
citizen.
In a statement on its Facebook page,
Corrections said the prisoner had been medically examined
and remained stable in custody.
“Meanwhile, the six
officers who remain suspended allegedly for breaches
relating to the standard operating procedures and lawful
instructions in the course of their duties and which are
linked to the reported incident will await internal
disciplinary proceedings to be heard by the designated
Tribunal,” Corrections said.
Corrections maintains
that it follows a zero tolerance policy regarding assault or
torture by an officer against a
prisoner.
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