A MOTHER is seeking answers from the Fiji Police Force after her son was allegedly bashed up by police, resulting in a seizure while in custody at the Labasa Police Station over the weekend.
Fulori Milika claimed her 29-year-old son, Pelasio Tamanikoula, a yaqona farmer, was taken in by police early Saturday morning and was allegedly kicked and punched while being transported to the Labasa Police Station.
Ms Milika said the injuries her son sustained in the alleged attack were unbearable for a mother to see.
“Even though he has been discharged from hospital, he can’t breathe well and it’s sad to see that the police we look up to for security can’t protect us,” she claimed.
“It’s really sad and I hope the police will investigate this matter because we know who the officer is, the one who was involved in the incident.”
Mr Tamanikoula was admitted at the Labasa Hospital on Saturday morning after the injury on his head, alleged to have been caused by the assault, didn’t stop bleeding and led to a seizure.
Mr Tamanikoula claimed he was returning home about 1am on Saturday when he came across a brawl at a service station near Batinikama Rd.
“The boy being punched up in the brawl is a friend of mine and I ran to help him and stop the fight and the police arrived,” he claimed.
“When they arrived, the boys all took off and they got hold of me, handcuffed me and threw me into the van and they started punching me and kicked my chest with their boots.
“Then I jumped out of the moving van and my head hit the footpath and I started bleeding and I was locked up in the cell with a bleeding head until 7am on Saturday when I got my seizure attack and they rushed me to hospital.”
Divisional police commander North Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Eparama Waqa confirmed a report had been lodged and an internal investigation was being conducted.
“We are carrying out our own investigations on this complaint. The complainant was arrested after he resisted arrest by the police,” he said.
The medical report obtained by the family stated that Mr Tamanikoula had an injury to his head and also bruises on his side.
