BY ROMINAH FAKA
Four of nine men accused of assaulting and damaging properties in Savo in February this year have been released on bail.
Jacob Gore, David Bane, Patterson Lugasia and Thomas Fenli were bailed $500 each by their sureties.
Charles Bane, Junior Rollin, Albert Ramo, Rolland Fiu and Pastor Bernard Bana remain in remand.
Court imposed bail conditions for the four – Gore, Bane and Lugasia to reside at Lunga area and Fenli to reside at New Zealand Camp.
They are to report every Friday at Lunga Police Station any time from 8am to 5pm, they will not travel out of the Guadalcanal Island, they are not to interfered with the crown witnesses, not to re-offend and must attend court mentions whenever their matters are listed.
Prosecutions said investigation was completed and disclosures have been served to the counsels in carriage of the file.
Court adjourned the matter for April 26 for all the accused to take their plea.
The nine accused namely, Pastor Bernard Bana,34, Charles Bane,72, David Bane,35, Junior Rollin,27, Thomas Fenli,37, Albert Ramo,21, Rolland Fiu,41, Patterson Iugasia, 38, and Jacob Gore,47, are all jointly charge for Criminal Trespass and Malicious Damage.
Mr Rollin faces an extra charge of being in possession of a firearm.
Allegations said leading up to the incident where Pr Bana had locked up church properties which had been presented to the Bazo SSEC church on Savo by sister churches on Honiara.
This reportedly did not go down well with the Bazo community.
This disagreement eventually led to Bana leaving Bazo for Honiara in January this year.
Two weeks later Bana’s wife returned to Bazo to collect their belongings.
It is alleged while she was packing up their belongings; a man (who would later become the complainant in this case) approached the pastor’s wife and told her to leave the church properties alone.
The wife reported this to her husband (Bana) upon return and he responded by telling her to inform the Bazo community and the man who had approached her to prepare $10,000 as compensation for him (Bana).
On Thursday, February 22 nd Pr Bana and the other eight defendants met near the Yacht club sea front where Bana paid a sea fare of $700 and they crossed to Bazo Village, Savo at 5pm.
Allegations continue that they first shored at Koromilo village where they unloaded seven cartons of beer and headed to Mora village.
They arrived around 6pm in the evening and walked straight to Bazo village, to the complainant’s house.
The complainant and his family were in their kitchen having dinner when defendant David Bane came and spoke with him. One of the defendants threw a punch at the complainant but missed.
One of the defendants grabbed the complainant’s shirt while another defendant who was armed with an axe moved in to attack the complainant. However, the complainant freed himself and escaped.
Rollin gave chase with his home-made pistol but could not catch him, so he returned and threatened one of the villagers with the weapon, it is alleged.
The defendants then turned on the complainant’s house and properties and damaged it.
The total amount of the damaged properties is reportedly $10,470. These include the damaged solar watts, large bucket, and pieces of iron roofing, pots, cups, plates, spoon, luggage basket, dwelling house and kitchen house.
Allegations added that on February 23 the defendants to 16 pieces of roofing iron and a tank belonging to the Bazo church and sold them to some people from nearby Lokanipeo village.
Bazo community reported the matter to the police. On Saturday, February 24 the defendants were about to board a boat back to Honiara when the Police Response Team arrived and apprehended all the defendants and escorted them to Tulagi police station.
Next day they were escorted to Honiara and have been remanded in the custody since.
Iete Tebakota of Police Prosecution Department act for the Crown and Daniel Onorio of PSO appears for Pastor Bernad Bana, Rolland Fiu, Albert Ramo, Charles Bane and Junior Rollin and Bobby Harunari of PSO acts for Thomas Fenli, Patterson Lugasia, Jacob Gore and David Bane.
