First Court Appearance for Murder Accused in Suva

Anare Vuli Cilicewa, 31, appeared in the High Court in Suva yesterday, facing a charge of murder in connection with the alleged killing of Sabreen Shahib Ali in Raiwaqa on September 9.

This marked Cilicewa’s first appearance in court following the incident last month.

During the proceedings, Cilicewa informed the court that he was currently without legal representation but had submitted an application for assistance from the Legal Aid Commission.

State Prosecutor, Zenith Zunaid, requested an additional seven days to file full disclosures related to the case.

Mr Zunaid told the court there was still a need for police to make further investigation, thus, further information would also be served in the next court sitting.

Justice Pita Bulamainaivalu presided over the hearing, during which Cilicewa’s production order was extended.

The court has been adjourned until 16th October, when it will resume to assess the status of Cilicewa's legal representation and the completion of the required disclosures.

Before concluding the session, Zunaid informed the court that he would be attending to another matter in a different court but would ensure that another prosecutor would be present to represent the State on his behalf.