Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

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Orisi Tamani

 

Charge:

Robbery (includes armed robbery)

Sentence:

5 years

Years Imprisoned:

Year Crime:

2003

Year Convicted:

Year Cleared:

2008

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Fiji

County or Region of Crime:

City of Crime:

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

"Orisi Tamani was co-defendant of Rodney Silikula. Both men were convicted of a February 2003 robbery based solely on their confessions, which they had recanted. At trial they argued the confessions were beaten out of them by the police, but they presented no corroborating evidence. They were both sentenced to five years in prison. They appealed, and documents were obtained that showed Tamani's injuries were so severe that the jail had refused the men admittance on February 7, 2003. The Fiji Court of appeals overturned the convictions of both men on November 7, 2008 on the basis that the only evidence against either man was their confessions, and the confessions were beaten out of both men by the police who concealed evidence of injuries caused by the beatings. The Court also ruled that the trial judge's submission to the jury was prejudicial to the men. The Court ordered that there be no retrial since there was no evidence they committed the robbery."

Conviction Caused By:

False confessions beaten out of both suspects by the police.

Innocence Proved By:

"The Fiji Court of Appeals overturned the convictions of both men on November 7, 2008 on the basis that the only evidence against either man was their confessions, and the confessions were beaten out of both men by the police who concealed evidence of injuries caused by the beatings. The Court also ruled that the trial judge's submission to the jury was prejudicial to the men. The Court ordered that there be no retrial since there was no evidence they committed the robbery."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Information Source 1:

"False evidence, man walks, The Fiji Times, November 8, 2008"

Information Location 1:

http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=105532

Information Source 2:

Silikula v State [2008] FJCA 5; AAU0011.2007 (7 March 2008)

Information Location 2:

http://www3.paclii.org/fj/cases/FJCA/2008/5.html

Information Source 3:

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Book Information:

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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org

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