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 27-year-old Apisai Madigibuli, who is alleged to have stabbed Kitiana Baravilala to death with a kitchen knife in an apartment in Suva on April 25.
During a session at the High Court in Suva last Monday, Mr. Gade informed Justice Dane Tuiqereqere that he had not had the opportunity to meet with DPP attorneys to go over the agreed facts and the pre-trial conference checklist. He mentioned that despite reaching out via email to arrange a meeting, he had yet to receive a response from the State.
Mr. Gade had previously requested for the matter to be addressed earlier in the week, as he would be on leave and unavailable until after September 16. In response, DPP representative Triveshni Sharma indicated that the officer managing the case was currently out of the country, returning on August 20.
Ms. Sharma also proposed rescheduling for preliminary discussions, but Mr. Gade objected due to his impending absence from the country. Justice Tuiqereqere approved Mr. Gade’s application to file voir dire grounds and expressed the expectation that the pre-trial conference would proceed as planned, with voir dire disclosures to be submitted by September 23.
Concerning bail, the defense informed the court about a change in the second surety and requested additional time to submit supplementary affidavits. Justice Tuiqereqere also authorized Mr. Gade’s request for another lawyer to manage Mr. Madigibuli’s bail application. Ms. Sharma’s request for a response within 14 days was also approved.