BY GEORGE MANFORD

AUKI

THE current increasing of school contributions is affecting most parents in rural areas.

A concerned parent Luke Devi said, “During our times our parents paid school fees which is much cheaper that the current school contributions that currently introduce at the moment.

“To us those that lived in rural areas where we depended on gardens for consumption have finding it hard for our children that attended high schools this year.

“Compared to last year it’s much cheaper for us to do installment payment with smaller amounts towards the school contributions.

“I understand that those that are employed and have jobs also have difficulties in finance while compared to us unemployed people living in rural areas where we depend on what we have from our gardens.

“Sometimes our children with smart brains leave school unnecessary because we fail to support them especially in school fees.

“We call on the responsible authority to address this issue and to make it fair to all of us and also to develop our children in our rural areas in better, quality education.”

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THREE men have been convicted of harbouring non-citizens, an incident which occurred in 2016.

Principal Magistrate Augustine Aulanga in delivering the judgment said the three men; John Mamiong, Charles Takule and Loh Jing Sing, their actions amounted to harbouring unlawful four Bougainvilleans at Metuai camp in 2016.

This occurred at the Metuai camp, SKT Wavasan logging company at Shortland Islands.

The company was also charged with employing non-citizens.

Prosecution said on July 23, 2016, Mamiong, Takule with other men went over to Bougainville by boat. They returned to the logging camp the same day with four Bougainvilleans. Mamiong straightaway accommodated them in a leaf house at a log pond located several hundred metres from the logging camp.

Mamiong and Takule knew very well they were not Solomon Islanders or non-citizens, in other words and their presence at the Metaui log pond area was illegal since they did not have entry visa.

Their unlawful presence at the camp was later communicated to the RSIPF and on July 26, 2016, RSIPF sent a team to the Metuai logging camp and carried out a raid, and arrested the four Bougainvilleans together with the defendants.

The four Bougainvilleans were interviewed by immigration authorities and were ordered to pay spot fines. Thereafter, they were deported to Bougainville.

Aulanga in analysing all the evidence put before the court convicted the three men and acquitted the SKT Company.

“To prove this, the Court must be satisfied with the evidence that the Bougainvilleans were employed by the defendant. Mamiong in his oral evidence admitted that his business entity was responsible for the employment of the securities for the logging operation.

“There is not any direct evidence from the prosecution that the four Bougainvilleans were employed by SKT to work as securities. There is not any written agreement or documentary evidence such as payslips, cheques etc, or any form of evidence akin to this to establish this crucial aspect of the prosecution’s case. Takule and Sing denied employing the Bougainvilleans and said that it was ALRC that employed them to provide security for SKT,” Magistrate Aulanga said.

Aulanga said the admitted evidence of the four Bougainvilleans did not specify which company they were working for at the logging camp given that there were three corporate entities involved or contracted in the logging operation. Their evidence was vague and unhelpful.

Magistrate also said prosecution could have explored more in cross examination but was unable to negate this evidence adduced by the defence.

“I cannot even draw any inferences to impute the defendant to this charge given the flimsy state of the prosecution’s evidence.

“Therefore, the defendant, SKT, must be given the benefit of the doubt and must be acquitted forthwith of the charge of employing unlawful non-citizens, contrary to section 69(1) of the Immigration Act 1,” Aulanga added.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE investigator in the alleged burglary incident at Lungga has been summoned to appear in court on the next court appearance.

Principal Magistrate Augustine Aulanga summoned the investigator following the explanation made by the prosecution that they have emailed the investigator about the warrant of arrest issued against the defendants last year.

However, since then the investigator has not made any attempt to update the prosecution on the message sent.

The prosecutor told the court that the case was investigated by Henderson police.

This is the case against Margret Lingali, David Kereka and Charles Sanga.

The trio were charged in relation to an incident which occurred in 2016; it was said that the trio were stealing from a school store at Lungga.

The three defendants were still under warrant and the case is adjourned to next 14 days for the investigator to explain in court of the status of the case.

Police Prosecution Service is prosecuting the case.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE case against three Chinese business men will appear in court today.

They are Zhangs Tongzhi, XU Qiang and Sheng Song Frank; the trio were charged under the Fisheries Management Act.

Their case will be mentioned before Principal Magistrate Ricky Iomea in the Honiara Magistrate Court.

The trio were facing four charges; count one, Artisanal Fishing in indirect association with a registered company without valid and applicable license contrary to section 43(1)(a) (c) Fisheries Management Act 2015; Count two, Buy or otherwise trade in Fish taken in contravention of the Act contrary to section 27(1) Fisheries Management Act 2015; Count three, Engage in activities relating to fish processing for the purposes of export without valid and applicable license contrary to section 44(1)(a) as read with section 44(1)(b) and (c) Fisheries Management Act 2015; and Count four, cause or permit a person acting on his behalf to engage in activities of such a kind or type, at a time for which a valid license or authorisation is required contrary to section 56 (1) (a) as read with (b) Fisheries Management Act 2015.

The trio were charged in relation to the illegal harvesting of the sea cucumber species at Ontong Java atoll when the ban was still effective last year.

The defendants on the matter were the beche-de-mer licence export holders which government had issued with licence when the beche-de-mer ban was lifted last year.

The office of the Director Public Prosecution appears on behalf of the crown.

BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

RESIDENTS of Naha and Kola have raised concerns that a few buses are still operating short bus routes.

They say some buses are still running short routes from Kukum SDA to Naha store or Talise.

This has resulted in many commuters stranded at the Kukum Hot Bread shop in the mornings.

Complainants say if buses adhere to the Central Market route then there should not be any problem of commuters being stranded in the said bus stop.

On this matter, they encourage the HCC Office to deploy its Law Enforcement team to monitor this situation.

Meanwhile, a bus driver who wants his name withheld said public should report to HCC if they find buses running the short bus route.

He said as a bus who runs the long trip as allocated, it is not fair that some buses are still continuing with the short routes.

BY GARY HATIGEVA

SOCIAL media users in and outside of the country are being asked to be cautious and make careful considerations and judgements when posting materials, information and rumours, something the media describes as “here-say”, on social media.

This follows the recently posted incident regarding threats, which locals from the Philippines made to one of the Solomon Islands students studying in the Philippines that went viral on social media and attracted widespread debate and criticism.

The incident, as reported had actually put fear amongst other students also studying in the Philippines and their families back in the Solomon Islands.

In an online interview with Solomon Islands Students Association President in the Philippines, Charles Haamori, he explained that the student body no longer sees any immediate threat hanging over its students.

Meanwhile, referring to the Island Sun report on the incident, Mr Haamori also confirmed that a day after the incident (single student being threatened) it was reported to the local authorities and was later settled.

He further confirmed that following the reported matter, just for fear of further retribution by the locals, all Solomon Islands students at AMAQC were warned and urged to take extra precaution.

“But yes, the issue has been resolved and students are beginning to ease back into their normal routine of classes,” Haamori said.

He however reminded social media users that there is “truth” and there is also this other one which we like to call the “half-truth”.

“While it is appreciative of our people to keep those of us back home posted and updated on things, it also important not to overcook materials or information they put up, because that will only create confusions and fears, over what could not have been as bad or dire as some may perceived it to be.”

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development also shared similar sentiments and urged students in institutions throughout the Asia Pacific Region to maintain positive ambassadorship, being representatives of Solomon Islands around.