THE legal proceedings laid against a 26-year-old accused of murder has been discontinued by the High Court in Suva.
Prosecutor Zenith Zunaid filed a nolle prosequi last week sanctioned by Acting DPP Nancy Tikoisuva against the accused Jotame Ratabua.
The nolle prosequi was served to the court when Mr Ratabua’s case was called before Justice Thushara Rajasinghe.
The DPP had charged Mr Ratabua with a count of murder allegedly committed on October 20, 2022.
The allegation laid against him is that he engaged in the conduct of unlawfully striking Simione Ravaga Koro, 24, multiple times on the head with a piece of timber. His alleged conduct caused Koro’s death on October 23, 2022.
Justice Rajasinghe informed Mr Zunaid the State could have filed the nolle in the initial stage and not when the case had already been fixed for a month’s trial.
He remarked that doing so would have prevented wastage of the court’s time.
Mr Zunaid explained that some issues were later found, thus, in the interests of justice, it would not be continuing in the prosecution of Mr Ratabua.
