Murder accused Anare Vuli Cilicewa has maintained that he did not assault or brutally kill Shabreen Shain Ali in Raiwaqa, Suva, in 2024, claiming he was framed by other occupants of the house.
His lawyer also argued at the hearing of closing submissions yesterday that the prosecution’s DNA evidence does not provide an exclusive forensic link to the death of Ms Ali, saying the case is built on incomplete and inconclusive scientific findings.
The lawyer argued that this weakened the reliability of the forensic evidence against Mr Cilicewa and the absence of DNA on key samples, combined with unidentified contributors and unresolved mixed profiles, significantly undermined the prosecution’s case.
Additionally, the lawyer also raised concerns over the police investigation, pointing to delays in securing the crime scene, lack of fingerprint evidence, failure to test certain exhibits, and inconsistencies in witness accounts regarding how police became involved and how the body was discovered and as such urged the court to return a verdict of not guilty.
In response, the State maintained that the evidence proved Mr Cilicewa’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, relying heavily on eyewitness testimony alleging he assaulted the victim, placed a cloth-filled condom in her mouth, and strangled her with an electrical cord.
The State said the medical evidence supported these claims, with the pathologist concluding the victim died from fatal asphyxia caused by choking and strangulation.
It argued that the DNA evidence, when considered alongside the eyewitness account and medical findings, strongly corroborated the case against Mr Cilicewa and placed him at the centre of the fatal incident.
Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu will deliver his decision on July 14.
