THE High Court in Suva has ordered firearm and ammunition exhibits in the criminal proceedings against John Geoffery Nikolic to be transferred to the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) for safe custody.
Justice Daniel Goundar issued the order yesterday in Criminal Case No. HAC 115 of 2018, directing the High Court Registrar to arrange the handover of the specified exhibits to an authorised RFMF officer.
The scheduled items to be kept in secure military custody include a revolver pistol, Aquila ammunition, six rounds of live ammunition removed from the revolver, storage container 1, a short gun, an empty magazine, 71 rounds of ammunition, and storage container 2.
According to the court order, the RFMF will retain the exhibits in secure custody to preserve their identity, integrity, and condition until further orders.
The ruling strictly authorises custody and does not permit any transfer of ownership, disposal, use, alteration, or release without a further court order, and the exhibits should be produced to the court when directed.
A signed inventory and receipt of the handover will be recorded and filed on the court file, with copies provided to the RFMF to maintain a strict chain of custody.
Justice Goundar directed that the Registrar or an authorised officer verify each item against the court’s exhibit register before the handover. He also ordered an inventory and receipt recording the exhibit numbers, descriptions, quantities, condition, identifying marks or serial numbers, and the date and time of transfer, which must be signed by both parties.
Any discrepancies must be recorded and reported to the court, while all future access or movement of the exhibits must be logged.
Military Police vehicle at the High Court in Suva premises on October 6. Picture: ANDREW NAIDU
