The Fiji Court of Appeal has quashed the conviction of Acura Qaranivalu, who was previously sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment for unlawful cultivation of marijuana in 2017.
The decision was delivered on 28 November 2025 by President Justice Isikeli Mataitoga, Justice Alipate Qetaki, and Justice Gus Andrée Wiltens.
Qaranivalu was charged with cultivating 32 cannabis plants weighing 11 kilograms at Vuravu Farm, Daku Village, Kadavu on 3 January 2012. He had pleaded not guilty at the Suva High Court, which convicted him and imposed a non-parole period of 10 years.
The appellant initially sought to appeal against both conviction and sentence but was refused leave to challenge his conviction in 2020, though leave to appeal the sentence was granted.
The appeal focused on two main grounds: the unreasonableness of the verdict due to gaps in the prosecution evidence, and the admissibility of Qaranivalu’s caution interview, which contained only general admissions about cultivation in 2011, not specifically the plants or date charged.
The Appeal Court found that the trial judge had failed to properly direct assessors on the relevance of this evidence, and that the prosecution had not proven the charge beyond reasonable doubt.
The Court of Appeal ruled that the verdict was unreasonable and unsupported by evidence and accordingly quashed Qaranivalu’s conviction, granting him acquittal.
The Court also allowed the enlargement of time for appeal and leave to appeal against conviction and sentence.
