Fiji Police have launched an investigation after all drug exhibits linked to the $31 million (US$15.5 million) Joshua Aziz Rahman cocaine case and held at the Suva High Court Registry were found to have been tampered with.
Forensic testing of the remaining substances in the exhibits returned negative results for illicit drugs, raising questions over how the exhibits were handled and secured while in court custody.
Justice Minister and Acting Attorney-General Siromi Turaga told Parliament that the substances in the exhibits had been replaced with what is believed to be flour.
The development follows the discovery two weeks ago that seven bars of cocaine linked to Rahman’s case were missing from the High Court exhibit room.
The cocaine had been held at the court after Rahman was convicted and sentenced in 2021.
Police are now focusing their investigation on people responsible for managing and securing the exhibits at the High Court Registry.
A person of interest allegedly linked to the incident is currently overseas and is expected to be questioned as part of the investigation.
Turaga said the matter was immediately brought to the attention of Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and investigations were underway.
He said he was deeply disappointed by the incident and those responsible would face the full force of the law.
“This is a very serious matter,” Turaga told Parliament, stressing the need to establish how the exhibits were accessed and tampered with.
Opposition MP Faiyaz Koya described the incident as a serious concern and called for all materials, particularly drug exhibits, to be checked and tested.
Turaga said measures had already been taken to strengthen security around exhibits, including restricting access to certain materials held at the High Court Registry.
The investigation will examine the chain of custody of the cocaine exhibits, access to the court’s exhibit room and the circumstances surrounding the disappearance and replacement of the substances.
The Rahman case involved a major cocaine seizure and resulted in his conviction and sentencing in 2021.
Police are continuing investigations into the tampering and missing exhibits.
