BY ROMINAH FAKA
Four people accused of being involved in a breaking in at Tech Hub will return to court on April 15 to take their plea.
Yesterday the matter was heard in the Magistrate Court and prosecution informed court that there were few additional statements from police and civilians which have been obtained but yet to be signed.
Also, the main prime suspect is still at large.
Prosecution also told court that perusal disclosures have been served to defence.
Court adjourned the matter and made directions for the additional statements to be signed during the course of adjournment and full disclosures to be served to defence before April 15.
Defence was also instructed to obtain instructions from the defendants for plea.
Stephen Yim, Jared Meke, Andrew Kiriau and Jimmy Kiriau are together charged with one count of shop break-in.
Police alleged on Friday, January 31, 2025, the complainant was informed that someone had broken into her shop, the Tech Hub Shop situated at Koloale area.
She then went to her shop and upon entering saw a hole at the ceiling.
She also noticed that a glass counter of which phones were displayed in, was broken and her lockup in which phones are stored was also broken and left open.
She then checked all the properties inside the shop and confirmed that these following items were stolen – 18 iPhone 8s worth $27,000, 65 iPhone 7s worth $65,000, 1 Samsung Galaxy S21 worth $3,800 and cash of $560.
The complainant checked the installed CCTV camera and saw footage of the thief who stole the mobile phones and cash, case allegations said.
Police alleged that prior to the incident, one of her employees at Tech Hub shop who is defendant Mr Jimmy Kiriau, provided information to the other four defendants about the business activity at Tech Hub shop, phone lockup storage at tech hub, cashier table, CCTV camera position inside the shop and the surrounding and security of the Tech Hub shop.
The information was provided to his associates to help their planning to break and steal from the shop, police said.
In the early hours of January 31 between 4am and 5am, defendants Stephen Yim, Jared Meke, Andrew Kiriau and another suspect who is still at large boarded a dark-tinted gray van, police said.
They drove to Koloale area at Tech Hub shop and when they reached the junction, they dropped off the suspect who is still at large and drove back to a market stall located few metres away from Tech Hub shop.
It is alleged the market stall was owned by the security officer of Tech Hub.
The allegation said defendant Stephen Yim left the van while defendant Jared Meke and Andrew Kiriau remained inside the vehicle and watched while Yim distracted the security officer from concentrating towards the Tech Hub shop.
Yim engaged in conversation with the security officer and started telling jokes to gain his attention. Yim also allegedly played loud music from the vehicle to distract any noise from Tech Hub shop when the suspect who is still at large broke in through the shop roof and entered, police alleged.
After sometime the security officer heard loud banging noises coming from Tech Hub shop so he walked towards the building to see where the noise came from.
He entered the main door and saw the backside of the suspect, who is still at large, exiting the Tech Hub and walking up the Koloale road to the car wash area.
The security officer walked back to defendant Yim and told him what he saw, and in response Yim told the security that he would assist him chase after the suspect and so he went inside the vehicle and drove after the suspect.
But instead of chasing the suspect, Yim picked up the suspect, police said.
Yim droves back his van and slowly passed the security officer and asked if the security had seen the suspect. The officer replied saying no and defendant Yim drove off, police said.
On February 3, 2025, officers from Central Response Unit and Central Police Criminal Investigations Department located defendant Yim, Meke and Andrew Kiriau at Namuruka, White River.
Police said they all had in their possession iPhones and were arrested.
Police recovered eight iPhones from defendant Yim, seven iPhones from Meke and 18 iPhones from defendant Andrew Kiriau.
The complainant made identification on the recovered iPhones on February 3, 2025 and confirmed that they were iPhones stolen from the Tech Hub shop.
Police made two attempts to apprehended the prime suspect who is still at large but failed. He is reportedly holding on a large portion of the stolen iPhones and cash, police alleged.
Jeremy Oiofa from Office of Public Prosecutions appears for the crown and a PSO lawyers appeared for the defendants.
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