The court case against the suspended Electoral Commission staff Afualo Darryl Mapu and Marie Fanueli is underway this week in a bench trial before Tologata Leilani Tuala-Warren.
Prosecuting is Lupematasil Iliganoa Atoa and the defense lawyer for Afualo is Tofilau Leone Su’a-Mailo while Fanueli is represented by Aumua Ming Leung Wai.
The pair are jointly charged with six counts of drug-related offenses and possession of illegal weapons, in relation to a police raid at Nu’ufou on 28 December 2021.
More than 10 Police Officers took the stand on the prosecution side. It is expected that Deputy Electoral Commissioner Afualo will take the stand today.
Talamua reported that one of the prosecution witnesses Police Sergeant Mose Lotomau testified in Court on Monday and contradicted his own evidence when cross-examined by Tofilau.
Sergeant Mose has served in the police force for more than 20 years and is currently working in the Forensic Division, and was responsible for taking photos at the scene at Nu’ufou on 28 December 2021.
There were two sets of photo booklets provided for the Court, one taken by the Forensic and the other by the Arms Division. In the booklet were 18 photos.
Sergeant Mose testified under oath that all 18 photos provided as evidence in the trial were all taken by him.
However, Su’a noted that there were photos exactly the same in both booklets and asked Mose to explain why these photos provided by separate police divisions are exactly the same.
Mose insisted he took them.
Tofilau then identified the time the photos were taken and the time Mose arrived on the scene.
As the cross-examination continued, Mose admitted that some of the photos he did not take, and some of the photos he only took last Friday, but the raid took place on 28 December 2021.
Police Inspector Muliagatele Kavete testified that Mose arrived on the scene of the crime 30 minutes after the raid had started.
He also admitted that an officer of the Arms Division on the scene took some of the photos before Mose arrived and took over.
In re-examination, Mose was asked if anyone in the police had access to the photos in the Forensic computer, and Mose said only the Commissioner and the Forensic team.
