Apisai Madigibuli, who is charged with the murder of his pregnant wife, has been classified as a high risk to the community by State Prosecution, leading to objections to his bail request.
Madigibuli appeared before Justice Diane Tuiqereqere at the Suva High Court where he faces one count of murder. The 27-year-old is accused of killing his 25-year-old wife, Kitiana Baravilala, who was six months pregnant, at an apartment in Suva on July 28.
Prosecutor Monisha Naidu argued against granting bail, stating it would pose significant risks. She highlighted Madigibuli’s prior convictions, noting he had been sentenced in 2022 and had only recently been released in December.
Naidu described the crime as heinous and clarified that the rehabilitation period begins only after a person has successfully reintegrated into the community. She asserted that Madigibuli had barely reintegrated before committing another serious offense.
In her arguments, Naidu detailed the disturbing circumstances surrounding the cause of death and raised concerns that releasing Madigibuli could put witnesses at risk. She also questioned the reliability of the two sureties proposed, both of whom reside in Nadi, which added to the hesitance in granting bail.
Naidu informed the court that if convicted, Madigibuli would face a custodial sentence and indicated a strong possibility that he might not return to court.
Defense lawyer Paula Gade asked for time to respond to the State’s objections, seeking an extension until September 30, and questioned the State regarding the surety checks. Justice Tuiqereqere urged the prosecution to quickly verify the credibility of the sureties.
The case has been adjourned to September 23 to tackle matters related to the pretrial conference and to make a decision regarding the bail application. Additionally, the production order for Madigibuli was extended.