Grace Road Group president Jung Yong Kim, better known as Daniel Kim

Grace Road Group president Jung Yong Kim, better known as Daniel Kim and fellow group member Jinseo Jung were acquitted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm charges by the Navua Magistrates Court.

Magistrate Senikavika Jiuta allowed the defence application of no case to answer and acquitted the duo accordingly.

During proceedings, the complainant said he was assaulted by Kim and other Korean men on June 30, 2018.

He said he was kicked him several times – on his mouth, face and head – and left him there until a neighbour helped him until he was taken to the Navua Hospital and then to court. The complainant said when the Government changed, he asked his daughter to post pictures on

Facebook, after which CID officers came to his home and questioned him.

The defence counsel submitted that the complainant did not report a complaint himself, but did so after a few police officers went to his home and asked him to file one.

The defence lawyer also said the prosecution chose not to disclose that the complainant was charged in 2018 for two counts of damaging property, one count of criminal intimidation and three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The defence said the complainant admitted to lying a number of times during cross-examination, and also said the complainant was intoxicated on the day he claimed he was assaulted and was aggressive towards a Grace Road employee, and threw stones and wielded a knife at the worker.

Defence counsel said Messrs Kim and Jung acted in self-defence when the complainant raised the cane knife at them and had suffered injuries in the process.

Magistrate Senikavika Jiuta said considering the evidence presented to the court, she found there was no evidence of assault and neither was there any evidence of intention to harm.

The magistrate also said the evidence presented by the complainant was unreliable, inconsistent and lacked credibility.