POLICE Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu has called on the public to avoid “unnecessary speculation” following the death of Jone Vakarisi.
Responding to questions from this newspaper yesterday after verify the widely circulated “leaked” cause of death certificate for Vakarisi, Mr Tudravu urge the public to allow investigators to conduct their work.
“I’m calling on members of the public to respect the process of investigation that is currently underway.
“Allow investigators to conduct their work and avoid unnecessary speculation.”
The death certificate for Vakarisi provides a detailed medical explanation of the events that led to his death, outlining both the immediate cause and the underlying injuries.
According to the document, the immediate cause of death is recorded as asphyxia, a condition where the body is deprived of oxygen.
This, the certificate states, occurred as a result of “aspiration of gastric contents” meaning material from the stomach entered the airway and blocked breathing.
However, the certificate makes clear that this was not an isolated medical event.
It traces the cause further back to “severe traumatic injuries” sustained by Vakarisi.
These include significant head injuries and extensive chest trauma, along with internal bleeding and damage affecting both sides of the chest and lungs.
Importantly, under the section identifying the external cause of injury, the certificate attributes these injuries to blunt force trauma to the head and chest. Taken together, the document indicates that Vakarisi’s death was not simply due to a medical episode but followed a chain of events in which severe physical injuries ultimately led to the condition that caused him to stop breathing.
The injuries Vakarisi sustained are potentially linked to his time in military custody.
