Fiji’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the state body that runs criminal prosecutions, issued a statement on Wednesday 30 September defending its handling of drug exhibits after it emerged that nearly 40kg of cocaine held in court storage had been replaced with flour. The ODPP confirmed the missing and tampered exhibits were linked to the high-profile Joshua Rahman case and carried a street value of about US$14 million, according to RNZ.
Key facts
- The ODPP released its statement on Wednesday, clarifying its role in managing drug exhibits, RNZ reported.
- Close to 40kg of court-stored cocaine was replaced with flour; the exhibits were worth about US$14 million in street value and were tied to the Joshua Rahman case.
- The ODPP said drug exhibits cannot legally be destroyed while retrials or appeals are still running.
- The office said it was in the process of applying for destruction when the missing drugs were uncovered.
- Fiji Police said on Tuesday that forensic testing showed all 39 cocaine bars held in the Suva High Court exhibit room had been tampered with.
- Police are investigating High Court Registry personnel, the ODPP statement noted.
Why it matters
The exhibits at the centre of the case were not seized goods sitting in a police warehouse. They were court evidence, held inside the Suva High Court, and our earlier reporting covered how cocaine bars stored at the Suva High Court were found to contain flour. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka told local reporters the episode was “very damaging and embarrassing”, RNZ reported.
The volume is also large by any measure for a country already dealing with Fiji’s methamphetamine-driven HIV outbreak. The ODPP did not say where the substituted cocaine went, and police have not said publicly either.
The ODPP’s explanation
The core of the prosecution office’s defence, as reported by RNZ, is a legal constraint: while a retrial or an appeal is still live, the drugs tendered as evidence cannot lawfully be destroyed. The ODPP said it had already begun the process of applying for destruction of the exhibits in question when the substitution was discovered.
The office also acknowledged the hazard of leaving large quantities of narcotics in storage. “The ODPP recognises the importance of the proper and timely management of drug exhibits, particularly given the risks associated with their continued storage,” the statement said, per RNZ.
As evidence that it has been clearing the backlog, the office pointed to the destruction of more than 4.1 tonnes of drugs in the Justin Ho case in February, RNZ reported. The ODPP’s statement does not say how long the Rahman exhibits had been in court custody before the tampering was found.
The police investigation
Fiji Police confirmed on Tuesday that forensic tests returned a tampering result on every one of the 39 cocaine bars stored at the Suva High Court exhibit room, according to RNZ. The ODPP said the police inquiry extends to High Court Registry personnel as well as the missing exhibits themselves.
No charges against any named individual are reported in the RNZ account, and the police have not said whether anyone has been arrested. Any allegation remains untested.
Political reaction
Justice Minister Siromi Turaga told parliament on Tuesday that the disappearance of the cocaine bars was shocking and said “no stone will be left unturned” in holding those responsible to account, RNZ reported.
Opposition MPs described the affair as a “sad indictment”, according to the same report. RNZ also carried comments made to local reporters at Government Buildings in Suva warning that there may be “rogue elements in trusted agencies” such as the judiciary, and insisting that “the judiciary is safe. It is the people who are involved that will have to be found out.” The RNZ report does not clearly identify who made those remarks, so Fiji News is not attributing them to a named speaker.
Background and what is still unknown
RNZ’s report does not set out how the Rahman case reached the retrial or appeal stage, when the exhibits were first lodged, or who had access to the exhibit room. It also does not say what physical controls, logs or audits applied to the storage area, or when the bars were last checked before testing.
The case lands on institutions already under scrutiny in parliament over how Fiji tracks serious crime and illicit money; MPs have already been told tax crimes make up most of the case value handled by Fiji’s financial intelligence unit. For now, the ODPP has drawn a line under its own public comment and left the next word to the police.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the ODPP accept responsibility for how exhibits were handled in earlier years?
No. According to RNZ, the ODPP statement said the office cannot comment on the priorities or processes of the ODPP prior to 2023. It said that since the establishment of its Anti-Narcotics Division in 2024, the office has been prioritising applications for the destruction of drug exhibits.
Is anyone being questioned over the tampered cocaine bars?
Fiji Police said one person of interest allegedly involved in the incident is overseas and will be questioned, RNZ reported. Police gave no further details about that person, and said investigations are continuing.
When is the ODPP next applying to destroy drug exhibits?
The ODPP said it would file an application on 15 October to destroy the exhibits held in the Vatia drug case, according to RNZ. The office framed that filing as part of its push to clear stored drug exhibits more promptly.
Will the ODPP answer more questions about the missing drugs?
Not for now. RNZ reported the prosecution office confirmed it would make no further comments while police investigations into High Court Registry personnel and the missing exhibits continue.
