The High Court in Suva has granted a final adjournment date for the pretrial conference of Inoke Qalo Loloma, who is facing murder charges. Defence attorney Shirley Tivao represented Loloma during the hearing on Friday, as the primary lawyer, Susan Serukai, was unavailable.
Loloma is accused of murdering a 43-year-old man during a drinking event on Christmas Eve last year in Vugalei. During the proceedings, Tivao informed the court that State Prosecutor Tevita Naimila had expressed a desire to discuss the case further, but Serukai was unable to meet this week.
Justice Thushara Rajasinghe emphasized to Tivao that repeated adjournment requests are not acceptable, given the length of time the case has been pending. Tivao explained that the court is reassigning cases and that she may take over Loloma’s representation moving forward.
She noted that Serukai was hospitalized again on Thursday night and was expected to attend the hearing. Tivao mentioned that she had yet to discuss case strategies with Serukai, indicating that she could not make decisions on the case without further guidance.
The new date for the final pretrial conference has been set for January 31, 2025.