Wrong side of the law
2 February, 2023, 4:00 pm
Image: FILE
Seventy of the 716 people charged for serious crime offences last year were police officers.
This was revealed as part of data released by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) relating to the number of formal indictments filed in the High Court of Fiji by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
According to the ODPP, 716 people were charged with a total of 918 separate counts of serious crime offences as of December 31, 2022.
Out of the 716 accused persons, 72 were minors.
The highest number of 176 offences was recorded in November.
About 81 offences were recorded in January, 55 in February, 79 in March, 76 in April, 80 in May, 55 in June, 95 in July, 96 in August, 49 in September, 48 in October and 28 in December.
A total of 547 victims suffered in the 918 separate counts of serious offences.
Of the 547, 66 cases were that of accused and victims who were related.
About 58 cases were withdrawn after discontinuances (Nolle Prosequi) were filed in 2022.
The break-down for some of the serious crimes which resulted in charges last year is as follows: theft – 182; aggravated burglary – 152; aggravated robbery – 130; money laundering – 86; and there were 58 counts of assault causing actual bodily harm.
