Elizabeth Kabuyawa with the late Sakiasi Ose Radravu.
Photo: Supplied
Warning: This story contains detailed accounts of alleged police and military brutality, including torture and sexual assault.
The Fiji Police Force has acknowledged that 12 officers were present during a raid involving Kinoya resident Sakiasi Ose Radravu, who his family claims was severely beaten, resulting in his death.
His family alleges that on the night of 23 April, the 32-year-old was “tortured” in his home by both police and military officers – and beaten within an inch of his life.
He died five days ago, on 4 June, with police stating that the autopsy report shows the cause of his demise was “a pre-existing medical condition”.
However, Radravu’s aunt Elizabeth Kabuyawa told RNZ Pacific that they are seeking a second autopsy on the body, due to concerns about a possible cover-up.
RNZ Pacific has seen a copy of the death certificate, which lists the main cause of death as sepsis and complications from pneumonia.
“I think they’re (police) trying to masquerade it. They’re not even considering that there was an underlying issue that he’d had from these beatings,” Kabuyawa claimed.
“My nephew was sodomised, his head was stomped on, he was beaten almost to his death.”
This is the second recent death in Suva linked incidents where police and military are alleged to have played a part. Jone Vakarisi – described by local media as a drug lord involved in criminal networks – died in military custody on 14 April.
It comes at a time when military officers are patrolling the streets bearing automatic weapons – ostensibly as part of a joint operation with police to crack down on drugs.
Fiji police and military manning a checkpoint in Suva in their efforts to crackdown on criminal networks.
Photo: Facebook / Fiji Police Force
Police are also promoting a dob-in website where citizens can be their community’s “eyes and ears” and inform on others.
Kabuyawa said the family is of one mind in seeking answers from the authorities.
“Fiji is not a big place … we just want that faith and that confidence back into our [police] service. We’re hoping that this could be the last time that this type of brutality happens.”
The night
Radravu’s cousin Buna recalled being woken up at 3am on 23 April by a loud banging outside.
When her uncle opened the door, they found a military officer in uniform demanding to see Radravu, who Kabuyawa said they had accused of stealing a laptop.
But they had gone to the wrong house – Radravu and his girlfriend were a few doors down.
“Straight after, he had informed our uncle that there were some soldiers were already present opposite from where we are staying,” Buna said.
“So straight after they had left, my uncle and our cousin, they also went, they wanted to see what would actually happen. So when they went, they saw that they had already surrounded the place.”
They arrived to see the house surrounded by people banging on windows and walking in and out.
“We could hear that our cousin was actually screaming and yelling for his life, but that didn’t actually change any response from them.”
Buna said that Radravu’s girlfriend, who was in the room as he was being beaten, made out that some were in uniform, and some were not.
“[She] came crying home and came to inform the family of what had happened. After they had beaten him up, they had taken him up to the [police] station at Valelevu (a surburb 20 minutes out from the capital Suva).”
The family alleges that Radravu’s visit to the station had never been logged or recorded, and that police had never issued a warrant for a raid on his house.
While police have rejected the family’s version of events, they have now acknowledged that a raid did take place, and that 12 police officers were present.
A 7 June police statement described the conduct as “failure to adhere to processes and procedures”
“The Fiji Police Force acknowledges that the lack of compliance to due processes continues to exacerbate complaints against police and service,” it said.
The aftermath
More than a month passed between that night and Radravu’s death. His family said he had suffered all of that time, often unable to sit or lie down without intense pain.
“My sister-in-law asked him, ‘Do you want to [go to the hospital], let’s go, let’s go,’ and he refused,” Kabuyawa said.
She described a small number of eventual hospital visits where X-rays came up with nothing, and Radravu was given Panadol (paracetamol).
“For the past couple of weeks, he had check ups, but also with the issues due to space [at the hospital] he checked himself out.”
On 4 June, Radravu walked into Wanibokasi Hospital and collapsed. The hospital is approximately a 35 minutes drive from the CBD in Suva.
Within an hour of his death, two police officers arrived at his mother’s house, trying to coax her into agreeing not to carry out a post-mortem on the body, Kabuyawa alleged.
“She refused. A couple days later … the police then started coming to the house … they came in three appearances in one day.”
Kabuyawa has accused the police of using this as an intimidation tactic.
“Out of the blue, a doctor called and stated there will be a post-mortem. When they appeared [at the hospital], there were five carloads of officers that were already there waiting.
“My family was not allowed entry into the room to be near his body.”
Aside from confirming Radravu’s identity, family members were ushered to a waiting area, watching police officers walk in and out of the examination room.
“Then the doctor, with such an arrogant tone, just advised the family without passing the paperwork that [Radravu] had passed away because he had tuberculosis and AIDS,” she claimed.
“My sister-in-law, who’s a nurse, and had taken Sakiasi to the doctors a week and a bit ago, she advised him right then that ‘we did his blood work and that all came back clear’. Then the doctor ended up changing his findings, and said he died from pneumonia.”
From the death certificate seen by RNZ Pacific, it is not clear to the family whether complications from the beatings – which they claim went entirely untreated – were considered at all.
Out of frustration, Kabuyawa emailed Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu on Friday 5 June, copying reporters in the communication.
Tudravu replied: “If you want to raise your grievances then address your email to me – I will not action if I’m copied.”
“Please have some respect to the Office of the Police Commissioner.”
Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu
Photo: Fiji Police Force
‘No official report filed’, police say
Days after Radravu’s death, police said they were conducting an investigation.
“It has been confirmed from the Valelevu Police Station records that Mr Radravu was taken in for questioning on the night of the 23rd of April 2026 in relation to a case of alleged burglary,” a statement noted.
“It has also been confirmed from his family that no official report of an alleged assault was lodged following his arrest.”
Kabuyawa said this was because Radravu feared retribution even to the point where he feared telling a doctor.
The police statement also noted the cause of death had been linked to “a pre-existing medical condition,” which the family has completely rejected.
Meanwhile, the Fiji Sun reported on Tuesday morning that “reliable sources” had told them there was no direct involvement from the joint taskforce operation itself – rather that the 12 police officers were acting alone.
Police Minister Ioane Naivalurua has called for a fair investigation.
“These are abnormal times here in Fiji, and we are addressing the issue head on, no excuses,” he was quoted as saying by local media.
Tudravu told RNZ Pacific that they would not answer any questions on the matter until an “internal investigation” had been completed. He offered no timeframe.
The Fiji Military has not responded to RNZ Pacific’s requests for comment.
