A lawyer representing a man accused of murdering his wife has yet to meet with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for a pre-trial conference. Paula Gade from the Legal Aid Office is defending 27-year-old Apisai Madigibuli, who reportedly fatally stabbed 25-year-old Kitiana Baravilala with a kitchen knife in an apartment in Suva on April 25.
During a court appearance last week, Gade informed Justice Dane Tuiqereqere that he had not yet met with DPP lawyers to discuss the agreed facts and pre-trial conference checklist. He mentioned that he had sent an email requesting a meeting, but had not received a reply from the State.
Gade requested an earlier court date for the matter as he would be unavailable until after September 16 due to planned leave. In response, DPP lawyer Triveshni Sharma stated that the officer handling the case was currently out of the country but would return by August 20. Sharma requested a future date to address preliminary issues, which Gade opposed due to his impending absence.
Justice Tuiqereqere granted Gade’s application to file voir dire grounds and expressed the expectation that the pre-trial conference and disclosures related to voir dire would be completed by September 23. The defense also mentioned a change in the second surety regarding bail and requested additional time to submit supplementary affidavits. The judge acceded to a request for another lawyer to oversee Madigibuli’s bail application, while Sharma’s request to submit a response within 14 days was also approved.