THE State called the Vuda Marina Coastal Barging services owner David Andrew Wright and the boat captain Ratu Isoa Dina to give evidence in the trial in relation to the seizure of 4.15 tonnes of methamphetamine yesterday.
This is the case of Justin Ho, David Heritage, Louie Logaivau, Ratu Aporosa Davelevu, Sakiusa Tuva, Jale Aukerea, Ratu Osea Levula, and Keanie McPherson who are charged with the alleged importation and possession of 4.15 tonnes of methamphetamine between November 2023 and January 2024 in Legalega, Nadi.
Mr Ho, Mr Logaivau and Mr Aukerea are also charged with having property suspected of being the proceeds of a crime.
The matter was heard before Justice Aruna Aluthge and Acting Deputy Director for Public Prosecutions John Rabuku and co counsel Joeli Naivalu appeared for the state.
Vuda Marina Coastal Barging services owner David Andrew Wright.
Mr Wright told the court that he moved Fiji on December 27, 2017, to start a barge business located at the Vuda Marina
State lawyer Joeli Naivalu asked Mr Wright if anything out of the ordinary had happened and in cross examination Mr Wright said David Heritage had asked to dry hire his barge which meant to hire the barge with his own crew and skipper Mr Wright refused.
Late December he received a call from Mr Heritage asking to charter the barge to take food and fuel to a super yacht in the Yasawas with the delivery to be safe prior to sunup.
The court heard that the first charter left on December 21, 2023, and Mr Heritage paid $20,000 in cash close to midnight .It returned at 9am with the 800 litres of diesel and bags still on board .
In cross examination Mr Wright said a second payment of $3000 was made by Mr Heritage after he initially had the wrong coordinates for the first trip. Mr Heritage then made another pavement of $3000 to charter the barge again, this time to take rubbish.
The court heard that the first trip departed on December 21, the second on December 22 and the third trip on December 23,2023.
The boat captain Ratu Isoa Dina
Mr Dina told the court he was previously employed with the Vuda Marina Coastal barging services under the leadership of Mr Wright where he worked as boat captain for six to seven years.
The court heard that Mr Dina received a phone call from Mr Heritage on December 20, 2023, informing him that there was a job to take to Yaqeta, a second call was made telling him that the trip would be an early one.
Mr Dina told the court that upon arrival , he observed that the diesel and bags were already loaded on the barge, and it left the Vuda Marina at 12 midnight on December 21 ,2023 with him,Mr Heritage and three other boys.
They reached their destination by 6am and waited for a boat .Mr Dina asked Mr Heritage where the other boat was and he suggested that they look around as it was still early, however they were unable to locate the boat.
Mr Dina told the court that he asked Mr Heritage for the coordinates of the location and after plotting them, he discovered the area was located at Viwa Island , 80 miles from where they were.
Mr Heritage asked Mr Dina if they could proceed to this location however, he refused as they did not have enough fuel, and they returned to the Vuda marina.
Mr Dina received a second call a day later from Mr Heritage ,stating that the same group had wanted him to travel again.The barge left the Marina at 2pm on December 22,2023 ,following the coordinates given by Mr Heritage. After arriving at 5pm, they waited for the boat until 6pm.
In cross examination Mr Dina said when they entered the Mana Island channel at 9pm Mr Heritage suggested that they stay for a night at the Musket Cove Resort before departing the next morning at 6am and arriving at the Vuda Marina at 9am .
At around 12pm, Mr Dina received another phone call from Mr Heritage to go on another trip however he would not be accompanying the group and that the occupants of the barge would be Mr Dina, the crew and a Russian national.
Mr Dina told the court that a Russian man gave another set of coordinates which when plotted revealed the location to be in the outer seas of Waya Island. After arriving at the location, the Russian man gave another set of coordinates which led to the same location they had gone to a day prior. The Russian man made a call using a satellite phone and later confirmed that a boat was on its way.
The yacht arrived shortly after and the Russian national jumped onto the yacht and began transporting the boxes from the yacht to the barge.
Mr Dina told the court that two of the three people on the yacht were European while the third looked Hispanic. The group loaded the sealed containers from the yacht onto the barge from 6pm to 8pm.
The state asked Mr Dina how he felt when this was happening, and he stated that he was scared as he suspected this was drugs being transported.
The court heard that gallons of fuel were also loaded and .It departed at 8pm for Fantasy Island and reached the location by 6pm where Mr Heritage was waiting to pick the Russian national before dropping him off and returning with a hired truck that made two trips to transport the consignment.
Mr Dina told the court that on the second trip Mr Heritage gave him $1000 and stated he would pay another $1000 once the full delivery was made.He also told Mr Dina to relax as he had connections with police, Army and Navy.
Mr Heritage’s lawyer Lilianna Volau put to Mr Dina that Mr Heritage did not at any time tell him to relax because he had connections with the police, army and navy however Mr Dina maintained that this was what Mr Heritage told him.
The defence will cross examine four more witnesses today.
