BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

A 64-year-old man alleged of raping his 11-year-old grand-daughter is still without a lawyer to assist him with his charges.

Appearing before Principal Magistrate Ricky Iomea, the man said that he is yet to be legally represented though requests have been sent to the office of the Public Solicitor.

After knowing that the accused is still without a lawyer the court adjourned the case for April 10 to allow the PSO allocate a lawyer for the accused.

The court told the accused that he must make a follow-up on his request for a lawyer as the charges against him are serious.

The grandfather who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim is facing three counts of rape under the Sexual offence amendment Act.

Police alleged the man allegedly raped his 11-year-old grand-daughter on several separate occasions at different locations in the West Maringe District of Isabel

The incident was reported to Buala Police in which the old-man was arrested and charged for allegedly raping his granddaughter at Tirotue Settlement and Ghozoruru in the Hovikoilo Ward on different dates between December 31, 2015 and February 7, 2018.

The prosecution alleges that the old man and the girl were from the same village.

Office of the Director Public Prosecution appears for the crown.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE court has issued a warrant of arrest against a man facing arson charge yesterday.

The accused, Philip Feman, failed to appear in court yesterday for his last interim mention before his trial resumes on April 3 this year.

Mr Feman was charged with one count of arson in regards to an incident which occurred in Isabel in 2016.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge and a trial date was set, he was given privilege to be bailed while waiting for his trial date.

However when the court called his name for mention he failed to turn up and prosecution applied for a warrant of arrest against him.

Principal Magistrate Augustine Aulanga then issued the warrant and made orders for the police officers to try and execute the warrant of arrest as soon as possible as the trial date is next week.

The case is then adjourned to April 3 for trial and also review of the warrant.

Public Prosecutor John Zoze appears for the crown.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

PRINCIPAL Magistrate Augustine Aulanga has made orders in court yesterday that the Ministry of Health and Medical Services case will not be further adjourned to later dates.

He made the comments following prosecution’s application to adjourn the case for the next seven days as the prosecution in carriage of the case is yet to prepare all required documents for the Short Form Preliminary Inquiry.

Public Prosecutor John Zoze who appeared on behalf of his colleague prosecutor said that the original files in regards to the case have just returned from the police investigators and the prosecution needs time to prepare the list of documents for the SFPI.

He said the documents were huge and prosecution needs a seven-day adjournment.

But Magistrate Aulanga said seven days adjournment is too much as this particular case has already adjourned for several times.

Therefore he adjourned the case to this Thursday for prosecution to prepare all documents and also for the PI to proceed.

“This is the last adjournment and no more further adjournment,” Mr Aulanga said.

This is the case against five individuals alleged of misusing funds within the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in 2013.

Robert Manu former procurement officer, Dalcy Maena former accounts officer, local contractor Tigi Sikele, and Stephen Kidoe Dalipanda former Financial Controller and Randy Hatigeva former senior accountant.

They were alleged to have involved for misusing funds relating to the $10 million scandal that was uncovered in 2013 during a normal risk assessment undertaken in the Government’s financial management information system by Finance ministry officials.

In doing so, irregularities were detected in transactions relating to the Health Sector Support Program funded by AusAID.

It was uncovered that government contracts allocated under the health project involved grossly inflated pricing of freight service charges and shipping charters by contractors who were not shipping operators, but merely middle-man shell companies that charged exorbitant margins of around three to four times the normal freight service charges.

Government officials involved have allegedly colluded with contracted service providers to defraud the state.

The allegation against the former financial controller said between 1 January 2012 and 20 September 2013 the former Financial Controller obtained $7.3 million and on 15 occasions he fabricated invoices for freighting and claims were submitted under the fake shipping companies without the provision of services.

His co-accused Manu of Tikopia faces 12 counts of false pretence and four counts of official corruption.

This is for allegedly processed some payments under two non-genuine shipping companies totally up to 7.3 million.

Prosecution then alleged that the other accused Mr Hatigeva is also involved in endorsing payments and other documents totalling up $7.3 million.

While Dalcy Maena of Malaita who faces 18 counts of false pretence was alleged for processing fictitious quotes, invoices and claims for non-executed services or duplicated payments from fake shipping including a private company that she set up totalling up to SBD $7,542, 763.40.

In relation to the local contractor Tigi Sikele he faced with two counts of false pretences for allegedly defrauding the Ministry of Health of more than $730,000.

The Public Prosecution office is appearing for the crown in court.

Principal Magistrate Ricky Iomea presides over the case in court.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE inquiry into the death of a couple at Mbumburu in November 2016 will continue today at the Honiara Magistrate Court.

Director of Public Prosecution Ronald Bei Talasasa who assisted the Coroner on this inquiry sought adjournment yesterday so that he can see all Royal Solomon Islands Police Force Forensics officers before continuing with the hearing today.

Yesterday a nurse and a police investigator Peter Aike testified before the coroner.

Investigator Aike told the coroner yesterday that when they attended the scene he saw blood all over the place.

Aike said there was a thumb mark at the door and was not sure whether the Forensics officers had lifted any print on that.

The Coroner, Chief Magistrate Emma Garo, also questioned the investigator whether he saw a knife at the kitchen, saw medicine on the floor and an unopened can of drink with a pink glass in the house.

Aike said he saw those things, but they never collected them as it was the work of Forensics.

He was also questioned by the Coroner whether or not Forensic officers lifted fingerprints of those items seen in the house or the blood samples on that day when the two bodies were discovered.

Aike replied that he is not aware as to whether or not those samples were collected or finger-printed by Forensics officers.

Director of Public Prosecution after the Coroner had no questions for the police investigator made an application to adjourn the hearing to today.

This is in relation to the tragic death of a couple that occurred at Mbumburu in November 2016.

POLICE are investigating an alleged armed robbery at the Malohuna Camp, of the One Link Logging Company in the Harapa area of the Shortland Islands in Western province, in the early hours of Sunday this week (March 25, 2018).

It was alleged seven men, believed to be from Bougainville, allegedly armed with firearms, robbed the Camp Manager and removed goods in the canteen, took off with three chainsaws, a mobile phone, torches and clothes as well other items.

Supervising Assistant Commissioner (AC) Provincial, Chief Superintendent Anika Nausi says, “Officers of the RSIPF Police Response Team (PRT) have been deployed to the Shortland Islands to provide security for investigators currently on the ground.

“Additional police investigators including Community Policing and Forensic officers with a Police Patrol boat had been deployed to the Western Province to boost the security in Shortlands and as well at the border and assist in the investigation. Police from Taro, in Choiseul Province have also been sent to the Shortlands to assist.

“This is an incident allegedly involving people crossing into our side of the common border with Papua New Guinea with firearms and the RSIPF is taking this allegation very seriously.

“I appeal to people in the Shortland Islands to assist the RSIPF with its investigation into the incident.”

Information can be passed anonymously to any officer of the RSIPF currently in the Shortland Islands investigating the incident or people can call police at Gizo phone 60999 or the Police free toll line 999.

–POLICE MEDIA

By Mike Puia

THE Ministry of National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace (MNURP) rejected earlier reports about an issue it has with a State Owned Enterprise (SOE), Solomon Water.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Justus Denni, said reports suggesting that Solomon Water disconnected water supply to the Ministry’s housing estate at Panatina Rudge in East Honiara is incorrect.

Mr Denni said the Solomon Water refused to connect water supply to their staff houses since 2016 since their estate is within Solomon Water catchment area.

He said there are other residential houses within the Solomon Water borehole catchment and not the Ministry’s alone.

Denni confirmed the land where the Ministry had built on is owned by the government, through their Ministry.

He said they are taking initiatives to negotiate the issue with Solomon Water in order to reach an amicable and lasting solution.