Suspended Fiji Corrections Service acting commissioner Sevuloni Naucukidi was acquitted of a criminal intimidation charge by the Suva Magistrates Court on Wednesday after the prosecution moved to withdraw the matter following what it described as a “genuine reconciliation” between him and the complainant.
The case had been scheduled for trial before Magistrate Shageeth Somaratne, but prosecutor Sadaf Shameem told the court the alleged victim had been asked on several occasions whether he wished to proceed and had repeatedly maintained his decision to discontinue. Shameem told the court the likelihood of the State recharging Naucukidi was “very slim,” a position that influenced the Crown’s move to withdraw the charge.
Naucukidi’s defence counsel, Barbara Malimali, urged the court to grant an outright acquittal under Section 169(2)(b)(i) of the Criminal Procedure Act rather than allow the charge simply to be withdrawn. Malimali argued that an acquittal was necessary to bring finality to the matter and to protect her client from the ongoing uncertainty that a mere withdrawal would leave open. She told the court Naucukidi had already suffered reputational damage, financial strain and emotional distress after being suspended and later dismissed over allegations he threatened a staff member in July 2025.
Magistrate Somaratne accepted the defence submission and entered an acquittal, concluding the immediate criminal proceedings against Naucukidi. Outside court, Malimali said the outcome highlighted the heavy consequences that allegations — even those not proven — can have for public officials and their families.
Prosecutor Shameem’s comment that recharging was “very slim” stopped short of ruling it out entirely, and the State retains the right to appeal the acquittal. The Crown has 28 days to file an appeal against the magistrate’s decision. If the State does not file an appeal, the acquittal will stand and the criminal case will be closed.
The acquittal brings the latest development in a matter that has drawn attention because of Naucukidi’s senior role in the Fiji Corrections Service and the sensitivity of allegations involving a workplace threat. The prosecution’s withdrawal, justified by its characterization of a genuine reconciliation, and the court’s decision to acquit under the Criminal Procedure Act now leave the former acting commissioner free of criminal liability for the charge, at least until and unless the State pursues an appeal or new proceedings are commenced.
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