Police have confirmed a bench warrant has been issued for iTaukei Land and Fisheries Commission (TLFC) chairman Apimeleki Tola.
This after the Lautoka Magistrate’s Court handed down a nine-month committal sentence in absentia when Tola failed to appear for sentencing.
Police spokeswoman Ana Naisoro said the warrant followed convictions for assault and damaging property, offences committed in October 2022. Magistrate Shelyn Kiran delivered the sentence in Tola’s absence.
The TLFC, established under the iTaukei Lands Act 1905 and the Fisheries Act 1941, adjudicates disputes over land ownership, fishing rights and the installation of customary chiefs.
