BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

POLICE Commissioner Matthew Varley has assured family members of a woman who died in Lau Valley in late June this year that police are actively investigating the case.

The assurance was made in a media conference at the Rove Police Head Quarter last week.

Varley said such case is complex, and that it has been brought to police attention recently.

He said the deceased was from North Malaita and that on June 28 she was rushed to hospital with a number of serious injuries.

He said since last week NCID have been conducting series of investigation, gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses in relation to the circumstances around the woman’s death.

“The investigation is still ongoing and one of the challenges we face in this case is there was no post-mortem pathology at that time to establish precise causes of the death but we are working with doctors and relatives,” he said.

Mr Varley said their concern, there has been a lot of discontent among some member of the family and community which brought to resolution at the central police station last week.

Senior police officers, chiefs, leaders and members of the family are met at the Central police station for several hours and conducted a negotiation and consultation to work through claims of compensation and traditional issues around death of a woman.

The negotiation on behalf of the community was led with panel of chiefs and in particularly chief Robert Satu from the fishing village, Mr Varley explained.

Police Commissioner Mr Varley said Chief Satu’s senior community leaders did an outstanding job working with the families and relatives and police to come up with some resolution to allow police investigation to take its course.

Mr Varley said now everyone one understand police role to carry full investigation into the death of that woman.

“The reason for my message is to appeal to anyone who has information on the death of this woman at Lau Valley, if you had not spoken to police yet come forward and continue to provide your information to our detective from the NCID.”

“You can contact NCID directly or come to the local police station and we can facilitate that arrangement,” he said.

“To the communities, families and friends please allow police investigation to take its course,” Mr Varley said.

“Indeed our investigation team will continue to provide ongoing updates and information to the family of the decease person,” he adds.

HONIARA City Council (HCC) Mayor, Mr Andrew Mua, has been accused over issues relating to the Panatina Ward (Ward 12) by-election.

Unhappy Ward members hit back at Mua claiming the Mayor is trying to blind the public over the delay in holding a by-election for their Ward.

The Panatina Ward has been without a Councillor since the passing away of late Richard Safue in 2016. There was no replacement and since then numerous calls have been made on the Council to facilitate a by-election.

Ward members said their right to be represented in the Council has been “robbed” for too long. Others claim they have been left out of important services delivered by the Council.

Earlier, when responding to a call, Mayor Mua said there will be no by-election for the Ward as the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) which is responsible for funding a by-election for the Ward has not provided the Council funding to cater for this.

He said the MHA has suggested to the Council to use the $150,000 it provided as service grant to run the by-election and that the money will be replaced, but the Council was advised not to divert the money to any use other than for the Council’s service.

Over the weekend a former City Council worker, who requested anonymity, said it appears Mua tried to hide the truth from Ward members.

He said facilitating a by-election for the Ward is the responsibility of the Council and the MHA is only responsible for funding fresh elections.

He said the Council’s Finance Division has allocated funds for the by-election in 2016 when the Council completed it registration and nominations but was halted by Mua. There were no reasons provided.

He said he supports calls from Ward members for a by-election saying Panatina Ward, in East Honiara, is one of the biggest Wards inside Honiara City.

He said it is the right of Ward members to be represented in the Council and to benefit from the Council’s funding support.

He said for the last two year and six months, in terms of funding, Panatina Ward missed out about $1.1 million in a form of Christmas fund, independence fund, social culture fund, advisory fund and quarterly grant.

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

GIZO

GIZO residents are concerned at the current medicine crisis afflicting Honiara and other hospitals and clinics around the country.

A Mr Andrew Koke says the drug shortage will affect patients.

“These shortages will greatly affect patient treatment options at the hospitals, mini-hospitals, and clinics, especially rural populace.”

“We are calling on responsible Ministry and the National Government to deal with drug shortages.”

In response, Dr Boara said Gizo Hospital and other mini hospitals and clinics only attend to in-patients admitted at the Hospital and emergency cases.

He said that currently the number of in-patients at the Gizo hospital is manageable.

He said the Ministry will soon sort out these issues regarding the drug shortages currently affecting the country.