The High Court in Suva has found a 38-year-old woman not guilty of manslaughter in the death of her husband. Keresi Vualiku was married to Sevuloni Ququma for 17 years at the time of the incident, which took place on April 1 of last year.
Court documents reveal that Mr. Ququma jumped onto the roof of the car driven by Ms. Vualiku while they were traveling along a gravel road in Qauia Settlement. Despite her husband’s requests to stop, Ms. Vualiku continued driving. He eventually fell off the car and collided with a light post.
After the incident, Ms. Vualiku, with assistance from a passerby, helped her husband back into the car and took him home. The following day, he sought medical attention at the Lami Medical Centre due to head pain and was later hospitalized at CWM Hospital, where his condition worsened, resulting in his death on April 11.
The post-mortem examination indicated that the cause of death related to a history of assault. Represented by lawyer Loqi Cati from August Legal, Ms. Vualiku faced charges of manslaughter. Justice Thushara Rajasinghe stated in his ruling that the prosecution did not prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt, leading to Ms. Vualiku’s acquittal.