MILITARY Commander, Major General Jone Kalouniwai said the late Jone Vakarisi died of a “sudden and severe medical emergency” while at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Nabua, Suva.
In a statement, Major General Kalouniwai said Mr Vakarisi was among four individuals who voluntarily presented themselves at the Queen Elizabeth Barracks as part of a joint inquiry into recent security breaches.
“During the formal interview process, Mr Vakarisi suffered a sudden and severe medical emergency,” he said.
“Immediate and exhaustive life-saving efforts were administered by qualified RFMF medical personnel on-site but unfortunately could not revive him resulting in his unfortunate demise.”
He said preliminary medical assessments suggested the presence of a pre-existing condition that may have contributed to the incident.
Major General Kalouniwai said the matter had been referred to the coroner’s office for an independent and formal inquiry in accordance with the Inquests Act 1967.
He added that the other three civilians involved were released following the initial inquiry, while one RFMF personnel remained in military custody to assist with internal disciplinary investigations.
The statement also outlined broader security concerns, with the military citing intelligence indicating the existence of an organised criminal network attempting to compromise national stability, including the presence of unauthorised weaponry outside of official military inventory.
“The RFMF remains committed to its constitutional duty to protect the security and well-being of all Fijians.”
Meanwhile, Mr Vakarisi’s former partner, Queenie Osbourne, claimed he had gone to the barracks to look for his daughter, who was allegedly visiting a boyfriend whose father is a soldier.
It was earlier alleged that Mr Vakarisi entered the said barracks to access the RFMF armoury, which is understood to have led to his presence there during the inquiry.
More details are yet to be released.
