POLICE in the Western province have arrested a 70-year-old male on March 16 for allegedly having sexual intercourse with a 6-year-old girl at the Helena Goldie compound in the province.

It is alleged the old man had sexual Intercourse with the underaged girl on March 14, 2018 at the Helena Goldie Compound in Munda in the Western province.

Western Province, Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Mathias Lenialu says, “The old man had been remanded in the Gizo Correctional Centre by the Court.

“I want to acknowledged my officers at Munda Police Station in putting effort to investigate the alleged rape of the child, which of public interest.”

Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Munda Police, Sergeant Rachel Lilo says, “I want to remind parents of children in Munda and surrounding villages to take full responsibility in looking after your children and to report any alleged sexual abuse incident to police.

“I condemn in the strongest possible term the alleged rape of the child.

“I want to thank members of community so far for helping police with its investigation and appeal for more information. You are most welcome to speak to Munda Police officers or call us on telephone 62189.”

The elderly man re-appeared in the Gizo Magistrate court yesterday.

–POLICE MEDIA

POLICE in Kirakira, Makira province have arrested and charged an Asian male on March 9, 2018 for various traffic offences backdated since 2017.

“Our investigations have shown that this Asian has committed various traffic offences since June last year (2017) until recently,” says Provincial Police Commander Makira Ulawa Province, Superintendent Peter Sitai.

“And this includes allegedly causing death by reckless and dangerous driving.

“The suspect was arrested and charged under the Roads and Transport Act and will appear before the Kirakira Magistrate’s Court on March 26, 2018.

“I want to appeal to all the managers of logging companies operating in and around Makira Ulawa Province to make sure the foreigners working for your companies abide by the laws of Solomon Islands.”

–POLICE MEDIA

THE man who allegedly wounded a Melanesian Brother (Tasiu) late last year will reappear in court on April 6, 2018.

He was arrested and charged for allegedly wounding following an incident on August 20, 2017 where he injured a Tasiu with an arrow on the victim’s right rib.

“The defendant appeared in court on 9 March 2018 and the matter was adjourned to 6 April 2018 because the accused had no lawyer to represent him in court,” says Provincial Police Commander Makira Ulawa Province, Superintendent Peter Sitai.

“I want to thank the elders of Rea Camp for their understanding and support in assisting the young defendant to attend to his court dates. Law and order is every ones’ business and I appeal to everyone let’s all work together to address crime in our society.”

–POLICE MEDIA

By Mike Puia

THE Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) is taking the lead in re-looking into the issue of prostitution among Honiara local girls.

Prostitution is illegal in the country but some local girls are practising it in an ad hoc basis.

Some of these girls are harboured at the Honiara Botanic Garden, a spot in the city where one can enjoy a series of pleasant woodland trails through ecological treasure.

Now, the Botanical Garden has become known for sheltering girls who avail themselves to get paid to provide sex to men. They are often referred to as solfish.

RSIPF’s Director of National Prevention Centre, Solomon Sisimia, said they are bringing about 20 stakeholders to a consultation meeting to look at how this issue can be addressed.

The meeting is set for March 29.

“This is the first time we want to seriously look into this issue,” Mr Sisimia said.

He said the meeting is to draw ideas from different stakeholders on what needs to be done to address the issue and to find a common ground for all that will involve in dealing with the issue.

Sisimia said during this meeting the RSIPF and stakeholders will identify which stakeholder will take on the issue.

He said the issue is overdue and they expect which ever group identified after the meeting to take on this issue as far as checking on the girls’ families.

“We want to see which ever group that will take up this issue to talk to families of these girls and find out why these girls acted like this,” Sisimia said.

He said police is leading the facilitation of the upcoming meeting but non-government organisations and churches will take the lead in doing the actual work.

Stakeholders that are expected to attend the meeting include; Christian Care Centre (CCC), Family Support Centre (FSC), Seif Ples, government Ministries like the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children & Family Affairs (MWYCFA), Ministry of Commence, Industries, Labour & Immigration (MCILI), Ministry of Forest & Research (MoFR), churches and non-government organisations like Save the Children Australia (SCA), World Vision Solomon Islands (WVSI) and others.

This initiative is supported by the Solomon Islands Police Support Programme (SIPSP) and the Solomon Islands Development Programme (SIDP). SIPSP is supported by the New Zealand government while the SIDP is supported by the Australian government.

By Gary Hatigeva

THE Honiara City Council (HCC) is set to conduct inspections of shops for continued selling of expired products in the capital city as of next week.

Honiara City Mayor Andrew Mua in an interview yesterday confirmed that there will be checks for expired goods, shop conditions and compliance with city council health regulations.

Mr Mua said the council, following a good number of complaints from consumers, decided to fast track the planned exercise to next week and go hard on bussinesses, ensuring worthiness of products on shelves while at the same time thoroughly inspect product labels.

“If we find any goods with labels that aren’t written in English or Pijin but are in a foreign language that we can’t read, we will remove them from the shelves,” Mua stressed.

The last time HCC carried out similar exercises, inspections were extended to restaurants and roadside food stalls, but the Mayor has not touched on that.

Mua said the city council plans to ensure that all shops especially those selling consumable goods in Honiara, meet all HCC health regulations.

“If shops are caught with expired goods, then we will close it down and officers from the city council’s environment department as of next week and on, will begin the inspection exercise.”

The Mayor however added that even goods with three months left before they expire will also be ordered out of the shelves.

In the recent weeks, Island Sun also received a good number of complaints from consumers regarding expired goods being bought where in most cases are nonrefundable, but the Mayor pointed out that this time round, the Council will ensure that customers are given the right services and served with goods of quality standards as far as HCC laws are concerned.

He furthers that also this time round, they (HCC) will go hard on offenders and revealed that if found guilty, people caught will be liable to pay fines of up to $10,000.

Meanwhile, the City Mayor called on the consuming members of the public to help the authority track down what he described as illegal practices that continue to wear in on the health status of Honiara City residents who continue to suffer the consequences.

He said the success of this crackdown and inspection exercise will also need the assistance of the general public as a lot of the shop operators will do all they can to avoid being caught.

He said it has now come to the council’s attention that in the past, when inspected, shops will hide away the expired stuff from their shelves and put them back up after.

“This would definitely be out of our control, but that is why I stressed the need for public cooperation because you will then be our eyes if shops do get away with their unworthy of sell goods, and please, don’t hesitate to report anything you find odd and may be seen in breach of the mentioned ordinances.”

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

GIZO

WESTERN Province Premier Wayne Maepioh has commended the first-ever women’s empowerment and transformation policy for the province.

Mr Maepio said this policy will empower and transform women to change their status quo and demand improved services and development for improved livelihood.

“This policy is not intended only for the Division of Women Youth and Sports but calls for a whole of government approach to ensure its effective implementation.

“A multisectoral approach to address gender and women issues calls for all sectors across the provincial government, civil society organizations, faith-based organisation, the private sector, and communities to take ownership of this policy and responsibility for the implementation of key strategies and actions spelt out in this policy, specific to their mandates.

“It is the hope of the Western Provincial Government that this policy will provide opportunities for further collaboration with the National Government particularly the Ministry of Women Youth Children and Family Affairs.”

Maepio adds that he expects donors and development partners to provide support for the province in its endeavour to empower women.

He acknowledges that being the province’s first-ever policy on women, the Western province will meet its fair share of challenges, but reassures public that his government is prepared to counter and tackle these challenges.