A close family friend of Justin Ho has denied claims he threatened Mr Ho over the 4.15 tonnes of methamphetamine seized at Legalega in Nadi in January last year.
It was revealed in the High Court in Lautoka yesterday the crucial witness allegedly personally knows Mr Ho, his family members and some of the accused persons on trial.
While questioning the crucial witness, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions John Rabuku had put to him that prior to December 2023 and January 2024 did he know about Justin Ho.
In response, the crucial witness said he knew Mr Ho from the Northern Club in Lautoka. When asked by Mr Rabuku for how many years, he said “for about 10 years”.
He told the court, his family and Mr Ho’s family had met on a few occasions at the Northern Club.
Mr Rabuku then asked the witness: “In relation to this drug bust, you realise there was a massive police investigation?”
The crucial witness replied: “Yes.”
Mr Rabuku told court the witness had given a statement to the police on June 14 regarding clarification issues in relation to Justin Ho.
Mr Rabuku also said Mr Ho claimed that in relation to his participation; in bringing of the methamphetamine and the moving of the methamphetamine around the Nadi area, the crucial witness had threatened him to do it.
The witness replied: “No.”
Mr Rabuku also put to the crucial witness that he had threatened the family of Justin Ho.
The crucial witness replied: “No, I didn’t.”
“Think about this, in December 2023, did you ever, at any point, tell Justin Ho whether in person or whether through an electronic device, through telephone, whether it’s a telephone or a landline, for him to bring in the drugs, bring in the methamphetamine or otherwise you’ll either hurt him, hurt his family, kill him or kill his family,” Mr Rabuku said.
The crucial witness replied: “No, not at all.”
Mr Rabuku asked again: “Not by text, not by messaging, not by any social media platform, not by landline, not by phone call through a mobile phone and not physically in person?”
The crucial witness replied: “No.”
Mr Rabuku then put to the witness that in January last year, when the meth bust happened, “to the best of your knowledge did you at any stage threaten Justin Ho, that you’d either hurt him, or kill him or that you’d either hurt or kill his family?”
The witness replied: “No.”
He also denied threatening witnesses who had been coming to court to give evidence during the proceedings. He also denied speaking to Mr Ho and threatening him in relation to any evidence in these proceedings.
“Now, in relation to the drugs or methamphetamine that came into Fiji, in December 2023, which resulted in the drug bust in January 2024, did you have anything to do with this,” Mr Rabuku said.
The witness replied: “No”.
Mr Rabuku also asked him if the police had ever visited him to ask about whether he knew about these drugs.
The crucial witness replied: “Yes.”
He said the police came to him around February 2024.
The crucial witness said an officer from the Narcotics Unit had taken him to Nadi Police Station and questioned him in relation to this particular drug bust.
He said he informed the police he knew nothing about it.
Mr Rabuku then asked him: “You understand that Justin Ho at some stage was sent on bail by this court”
The crucial witness replied: “Yes.”
“At any time during that bail period, while Mr Ho was out on bail, did you ever threaten him, did you ever threaten his family, did you do any of the modes of threats that I had asked you before,” Mr Rabuku said.
The crucial witness replied: “No, not at all.”
Meanwhile, during cross-examination by the defence, Justin Ho’s counsel, Samuela Heritage, had suggested to the crucial witness that he knew Mr Ho’s family members.
“You also know Justin personally, he was your best man at the wedding,” Mr Heritage said.
The crucial witness confirmed, saying: “Yes”
Mr Heritage then asked: “So, if I suggest to you that you knew Justin’s family and you took advantage of it, you threatened him because you knew him, wasn’t it?
The crucial witness replied: “No.”
“If someone was the best man at my wedding, why would I threaten them,” he said.
Another key witness who was requested by the defence to take the stand also appeared in court yesterday.
He was revealed in the disclosures served in court as a worker at Denarau and had been in communication with a Russian man.
This witness had given a written statement as part of his evidence.
The prosecution closed its case yesterday. The trial will resume on June 30 when the defence counsels will submit their evidence in court.
The accused persons that have been confirmed to give evidence are Justin Ho – three witnesses, Louie Logaivau – one witness, Jale Aukerea – one witness, David Heritage – one witness, Ratu Osea Levula – two witnesses.
Viliame Colowaliku filed a no-case to answer yesterday and Ratu Aporosa Davelevu will make an application for a case-to-answer later this week.
