Udated: 7:00am – Friends of law student Iosefo Qionitoga, whose body was found in Vesida, Caubati, have described him as the kind of friend anyone would want.
A witness said she had told Police how she had earlier seen Mr Qionitoga being punched and kicked after an argument with two men.
Sera Brown, a University of the South Pacific student said the deceased was a really good friend of hers.
She last met the deceased who is a law student on Tuesday night.
“I said I had to go home. So we said our goodbyes. I didn’t know it was going to be our last goodbye,” she said
Cornelius Abraham, another friend of the late Mr Qionitoga, said he was an amazing person and anyone who knew him would agree.
“It’s just too shocking. He’s gone too soon. I spoke to him a week ago and I wished we had talked last night.”
Mr Abraham said the deceased used to be a staff member of MindPearl Fiji and resigned two months ago.
Meanwhile, an eye witness who works in a nearby taxi base close to the crime scene alleged that she had given Police all the details needed to arrest two alleged suspects.
Laisiana Nailevu, 56, who has given her statement at the Valelevu Police Post said she was on the night to morning shift, on Wednesday, she heard three men coming to the stand.
She alleged that the men, including the deceased, were fooling around with each other and laughing.
She said the two men started arguing with the deceased when another man arrived and offered to give them a roll and asked them to go home.
“When the elder man walked away, the men started arguing with the deceased.
“I looked through the window and I saw one of the men taking the deceased further down the road and was punching him and kicking him.
“The other man who continued smoking was calling out ‘brother take him far, take him to the footpath’, I just did not know which footpath.
“They kicked him and punched him, after that I did not hear anything,” she alleged.
When she was heading home, she saw a number of people crowded at the footpath, a common shortcut for residents in the area.
She said she saw the body lying dead on the ground and recognised the deceased.
“It is sad and I feel for the family. I don’t know how he ended up there and it was the first time I saw him in the area.”
57-year-old resident of Caubati, Hari Chand, says in his 20 years of living in the area they have never witnessed such a crime.
“This short cut is a common footpath for us but it is a dangerous path, people have been robbed when they walk home in the evening,” Mr Chand said.
“This matter has created more fear for people living in this area, I came this morning and saw everybody crowded at the scene, it’s really sad.”
Police Spokesperson Ana Naisoro confirmed the identity of the deceased but could not confirm the cause of death until a post-mortem is conducted.
She said the matter was still in its initial stages of investigation.
-Fiji Sun
