The attorney for a man accused of murdering his 25-year-old wife has not yet met with the Director of Public Prosecutions for a pre-trial conference. Paula Gade from the Legal Aid Office is representing Apisai Madigibuli, 27, who allegedly killed Kitiana Baravilala by stabbing her with a kitchen knife in a Suva apartment on April 25.
During a session at the High Court in Suva last week, Mr. Gade informed Justice Dane Tuiqereqere that he has not been able to meet with attorneys from the DPP’s office to discuss key facts and the pre-trial checklist. He mentioned that he had reached out via email but had not received a reply from the State.
Mr. Gade had previously requested that the matter be addressed earlier in the week due to his upcoming leave, which would keep him unavailable until after September 16. In response, DPP lawyer Triveshni Sharma indicated that the officer handling the case is currently out of the country and will return by August 20.
Ms. Sharma also proposed rescheduling for discussions on preliminary issues, but Mr. Gade objected because he would be unavailable due to his travel plans. Justice Tuiqereqere approved Mr. Gade’s request to file voir dire grounds and expects that all materials related to the pre-trial conference will be organized and disclosed by September 23.
Regarding bail, the defense raised a change of second surety and requested additional time to submit supplementary affidavits. Justice Tuiqereqere granted permission for another lawyer to take over Mr. Madigibuli’s bail application and authorized Ms. Sharma to file a response within 14 days.