A 31-year-old man charged with the murder of a 28-year-old woman will undergo a psychiatric evaluation at St Giles Hospital. Anare Vuli Cilicewa appeared before Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu in the High Court in Suva yesterday.
The incident occurred on September 8, when Mr. Cilicewa allegedly engaged in a heated argument with Shabreen Shain Ali, during which he used an object to inflict injuries that led to her death. The Legal Aid Commission has confirmed it will represent Mr. Cilicewa, with defense attorney Manisha Singh informing the court that her client was taking antipsychotic medication for a medical condition prior to arriving in Fiji from New Zealand.
When questioned by Justice Bulamainaivalu about the availability of medical documents, Ms. Singh stated that some documents were available, but others were left in New Zealand. She requested that her client be admitted to St Giles for evaluation, and the judge granted this application.
Justice Bulamainaivalu ordered that a psychiatric evaluation report be submitted to determine whether the accused is fit to enter a plea, allowing a 14-day period for the evaluation. Mr. Cilicewa’s bail application will be addressed at the next hearing after the report is provided. His production order has been extended until the next scheduled court date on October 30.