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High Court sentences man to 11 years for rape

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BY ROMINAH FAKA

The High Court has sentenced a 25-year-old man to 11 years’ imprisonment for the rape of an underage girl.

The sentence was delivered by Judge Augustine Sylver Aulanga on Monday, July 21, 2025 at the Auki High Court Circuit.

The defendant who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim was rearraigned on July 18, and pleaded guilty to a single charge of rape of a child, contrary to section 135 F (1) (a) and (b) of the Penal Code (Amendment) (Sexual Offences) Act 2016.

Both prosecution and defence agreed that an immediate custodial sentence is the appropriate sentence, given the seriousness of the offence.

Prosecution suggested a sentence ranging from 10 to 12 years while the defence proposed six to nine years’ custodial time.

In considering the appropriate sentence, court considered the defendant’s circumstances in this case, his aggravating and mitigating factors, including the recent increase in sentencing for this offence as prescribed by the Court of Appeal.

The victim was 16 years old at the time the offence was committed.

Facts presented from the case say that in September, 2024, both the defendant and victim had boarded a public motor vehicle and were travelling with other passengers.

The defendant was working as a crew member of the vehicle.

When the vehicle reached the village, the victim got off and walking on a footpath, was making her way to her house.

During this time, it was already later in the day, the sun had set so it was dark.

The defendant also made his way out of the vehicle and started to follow the victim.

As the victim continued walking along the footpath, she was approached by the defendant who came to her from behind, asking her to have sexual intercourse.

She refused his request and immediately, the defendant moved close and bit her on the left side of her neck and on the top of her breast.

The defendant then pulled her into the bush beside the road and raped her.

She struggled to resist him but was unable to given that the defendant was physically big and stronger than her.

Court heard that the defendant after raping the victim walked away.

After the offence, the victim walked back to her house crying and informed her aunt of what the defendant had done to her.

The matter was later reported to the police and the defendant was charged with rape.

In delivering the sentence for this case, court took into consideration the aggravating factors present in the case.

One of these factors is the age disparity of nine years between the defendant and the victim which denotes the power imbalance that existed between the defendant and victim, making her defenseless, vulnerable and easily overpowered by the defendant during the time of the offence.

Secondly, the physical injuries sustained by the victim before and during the time she was raped.

Thirdly, from the medical report, she suffered psychological trauma and bleeding to her private part as a result of the offence.

The offence also took place in the evening which meant that there was a breach of trust as the defendant was a crew member of the vehicle the victim was travelling in.

There is also the victim impact statement filed by the prosecution on the victim’s physical and mental health effects which can have a long impact on her.

Lastly, the fact that there is an unprecedented increase of rape cases of young girls in Solomon Islands and the wider public concern regarding the disturbing rise of this type of offence in our communities.

Court stressed that it has a duty to respond to this widespread public concern in the community by ensuring that an appropriate sentence is imposed and one that will send a clear message that those who commit the offence will expect an immediate and lengthy custodial sentence if convicted.

Court therefore, imposed a starting point of eight years imprisonment.

In light of the aggravating factors, court added five years imprisonment to the starting point, making it a total of 13 years imprisonment.

The sentence was reduced by two years to reflect the defendant’s mitigating factors and personal factors such as his guilty plea, being a first-time offender, his remorse and the fact that he is still a single person.

The court therefore, sentenced the defendant to 11 years imprisonment. Time spent in custody is to be taken into account.

Samuel Tovosia acted for the crown while Mr Harunari acted for the defendant.

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TEACHER STRIKE NOTICE

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SINTA issues education ministry with 28-day ultimatum to address seven-point list of demands

BY INDY MAEALASIA

Solomon Islands National Teachers Association (SINTA) has issued a nationwide 28-day strike notice to the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (MEHRD), that demands swift action on longstanding welfare issues of teachers across the country.

The notice, along with a formal list of demands was officially submitted to the ministry on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 and will lapse on the 29th of August, 2025.

Speaking to the media, SINTA General Secretary, Robert Lafisi said the bold action follows a resolution from the association’s Annual General Meeting held on June 25, citing unresolved issues that MEHRD has failed to address.

“This includes failed assurance from MEHRD, inconsistency in implementing the Education Act and Administrative instruction, discrepancies in terms of teachers’ classification and lack of increase in allowances and entitlements of teachers welfare,” Lafisi said.

Under this first submission, SINTA has outlined seven formal demands for MEHRD to consider:

  1. Job Security for Teachers

All eligible teachers should be offered ongoing contracts, rather than fixed-term agreements.

  • Recognition of Teachers’ Experience

Teachers’ years of service should be recognized and reflected in the salary structure, alongside position and qualifications.

  • Backdated Salaries

Teachers should receive back pay dating to 2014, when the revised salary structure was initially proposed.

  • Salary Structure Review Intervals

MEHRD must establish and communicate clear intervals for reviewing and updating the current salary structure.

  • Recognition of ECE, TVET, and Disability Educators

The qualifications and expertise of teachers in Early Childhood Education, Technical and Vocational Education and Training, and Special Education should be valued equally, not based solely on contact hours.

  • Allowances and Benefits

MEHRD should expand and increase allowances, holiday leave, long service benefits (LSB), and housing rental support for teachers.

  • Education Providers’ Financial Capacity

            Education providers’ financial health must be reviewed to ensure they can           effectively support teachers’ welfare.

Given the time available before the notice ends, Lafisi said the association is willing and open to have further constructive dialogue with the ministry.

“Please, let us talk over these matters to help our teachers. This should not be seen as a threat. These are failures on the ministry’s part. They are issues that should have been addressed long ago. Just accept that and come forward. Let’s resolve this together,” he stressed.

If no response is received within the notice period, Lafisi said SINTA will hold another meeting with its members to decide on the next possible steps.

According to SINTA, there is an estimate of 11,000 teachers nationwide.

The MEHRD is being sought for comments.

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East Malaita landowners halt Telekom service 

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By RODRICK DESURI

AUKI

Several so-called landowners of East Malaita have reportedly barred Our Telekom from carrying out repair works on its towers there.

The Our Telekom official page said the areas that will be most affected are Bethel and the surrounding areas of Ataa, Atori, Fiu, and Gwaelade in East Malaita. 

The branch manager of Our Telekom branch in Auki said Our Telekom mobile network in East Malaita was shut down “because we were not allowed to carry out repair and maintenance to this site after a long time”. 

Fred Ota said the issue is now dire and that their engineers are finding solutions to resolve the issue. 

“We have plans in place, but I will not make them public.

“Usually, when there are land disputes, Telekom remains neutral,” Mr Ota said. 

He added that they cannot say anything but are with their engineers and legal team from Honiara to resolve the issue.

The manager said the issue of land disputes in East Malaita is a long-standing problem, and they have not made any visit to the towers for a long time. 

He also said that during the times they visited the area, they were threatened. 

“We have even been threatened by the landowners at times, so we just use caretakers to check on the tower on our behalf,” he said. 

Meanwhile, when asked when they should resolve the issue, Fred Ota said we are currently working with our engineering department.

He added that they will try their very best and hope to resolve the issue so that the service can return to normal.

“We hope to restore the service as soon as possible, while a permanent solution will be forthcoming very soon after,” he said.

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11 PCDF projects set to roll

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By RODRICK DESURI

AUKI

Malaita province has 11 projects under the PCDF (Provincial Capacity Development Fund) that are ready to be rolled out in the coming months.

Provincial Secretary, George Erick in an interview on July 16, 2025 said these projects can be implemented if there is partnership and cooperation among resource owners, stakeholders and the provincial government.

He urged the people of Malaita to put aside their old ways that their forefathers held on to for years and work together, have one mind, and be patient with the current provincial government and the national government, as many projects will be coming to the province.

“I want to urge our resource owners to please put aside our old ways that our grandfathers taught us, allow our resources to be used, and work closely with the government. This is the only way we can develop our province,” he said.

“We have Bina Harbour, Auki Tar Sealing, Kilu’ufi expansion, and other national projects for the province, but these really depend on our resource owners,” he added.

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Auki police raid kwaso brewing site

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By RODRICK DESURI

AUKI

Police in Auki, Malaita Province have raided a kwaso producing site at Aligegeo School area on Monday, July 21, 2025.

According to the Provincial Police Commander, Superintendent Michael Ramosaea, the incident took place at a small settlement just behind the Aligegeo Provincial Secondary School. 

He said no arrests were made during the raid, but they collected all the home brewing equipment. 

“We haven’t made any arrests, but we collected all the home brewing equipment related to the home-brewed alcohol,” he said.

Ramosaea added that somebody must have told the “home brewing man” to escape before the police arrived at the scene. 

“When we arrived at the scene, there was no one. Everyone had escaped into the bush,” he said. 

The Provincial Police Commander appeals to community elders, leaders, and chiefs to work together and report anyone who is still producing home-brewed alcohol.

“I want to appeal to the community elders, leaders, and chiefs to work together with the police to stop the bad attitudes associated with producing this illegal product in our societies,” he said.

Ramosaea also calls on them to help the police by reporting anyone or any group involved in producing the illegal alcohol and other social activities that the community discourages.

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Its MUP’s turn: Premier Siapu

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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Since Solomon Islands has forged diplomatic ties with China in 2019, a number of provinces in the country have established sister relationships with provinces in China.

Almost of half of the country’s nine provinces have either established relations with Chinese provinces or are on the pursuit of doing so.

The latest is Makira Ulawa province. This comes following a recent meeting the premier of Makira Ulawa province, Stanley Siapu had with government officials from Guizhou province in China.

The meeting was held on the margin of the Global Eco Forum held in Guiyang City between 30th June to 6th July, in Guizhou province.

Premier Siapu and his Commerce Minister, Hon Martin Karani were part of a government delegation led by the Deputy Speaker to Parliament, Hon Morris Toiraena to the forum.

In an interview, Siapu acknowledged the government of Guizhou province for history that both provinces are on the verge of creating.

“When we presented out interest to PRC Embassy in Honiara for sister relationship, Guizhou province was ready at that time with similar interest.

“This is where we began. Our meeting was the first formal roundtable discussion held on the sister relationship.

“During the meeting, I presented the profile of Makira Ulawa province and the entire idea behind the pursuit of the province for the sister relationship,” he said.

He highlighted the areas of interest of which his province wants to seek cooperation with Guizhou province on and they include; health, education, fisheries, forestry and tourism.

Siapu said Guizhou province has expressed interest on the cooperation and even shared the support they have been rendering to Solomon Islands since 2019.

He mentioned that Guizhou province was instrumental behind medical assistance provided to Solomon Islands in the past years.

“This is one of the areas Guizhou province assured us to work closely on.

“And in response to my presentation, first two areas they assured to support Makira Ulawa with are transportation and medical service.

“The assurance was made based on my presentation and I sincerely acknowledge the people and government of Guizhou for the history we are about to create,” Siapu said.

He noted that now the two provinces have established a link, they will work-on from there towards the establishment of the sister relationship.

“My province sees this undertaking as privilege to realize the potential we have, which will mutually benefit both provinces and countries.

“My government is committed to work towards the establishment of this historic sister relationship between Makira Ulawa province and Guizhou province,” Siapu said.

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AHNRA, Dreamcast hold story telling training in Small Malaita

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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

The Apunepara Ha’amwaora Natural Resource Association (AHNRA) and Dreamcast Theatre has partnered to hold a story telling training for communities along Maramasike passage in Small Malaita.

The five-day training was held from July 3-7 at Waitoto village and gathered over participants from communities including Kelinge, Waitoto, Sarawasi, Taramata, and Komuoora villages.

A statement from AHNRA said the event represents a pivotal milestone, as participants embark on a transformative journey that culminates in a meaningful celebration, honouring the rich history and diverse cultural heritage of Solomon Islands.

The workshop is a product of a partnership between AHNRA and Dreamcast Theatre, and designed to provide an enriching platform for individuals to connect and share their stories while honing their storytelling skills.

Participants immersed themselves in a creative atmosphere, allowing them to forge deep bonds and celebrate the rich tapestry of narratives that define their communities.

Throughout the workshop, participants and facilitators gained valuable insights from their shared experiences, helping to foster new connections and deepen mutual understanding among attendees.

This foundation not only paves way for increased collaboration but also enhances outreach within the community, creating vibrant opportunities for engagement and sustainable partnership development.

According to the statement, participants also embarked on a profound journey of self-discovery, exploring their personal beliefs and values while strengthening their connections with others.

They have honed their theatrical skills, learning not just performance techniques but also the intricacies of stage presence and character development.

In addition, they developed a keen eye for photography and video editing, acquiring expertise in various shooting angles, lens types, and compositional techniques to create visually captivating narratives.

Furthermore, they have embraced the challenge of weaving traditional skills and cultural knowledge into their messaging, resulting in multifaceted storytelling that resonates deeply with audiences and honour their heritage.

The workshop is an integral component of the SPC/LMMA project, which aims to empower local communities to enhance and expand their Community-Based Marine Resource Management (CBRM) initiatives.

This initiative is funded by the LMMA network, ensuring the growth and development of local Marine Management Areas (LMMA).

These efforts are crucial for implementing sustainable practices and protecting the diverse marine ecosystems that are vital to the livelihoods and cultures of the communities involved.

This workshop is thus not only a celebration of storytelling but also a vital step towards fostering environmental stewardship and cultural preservation in the Solomon Islands.

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Australia funds police ramp for Kirakira

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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

The construction of a police ramp project at the provincial capital of Kirakira has completed over the weekend.

The project is funded Australian government through its Defence Department to strengthen the maritime logistic of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) in the province.

Premier of Makira Ulawa province, Stanley Siapu on Monday, July 21, 2025, thanked the Defence Department of Australia and the Australian government for the worthwhile support.

“Over the weekend the contractor tasked with the construction the project has met and updated my executive on the project.

“The project was a ramp built at Kirakira seafront for the police fast craft. Construction of the project has commenced three months and is now completed,” he said.

The premier reiterated his glee to Australian government for the support and the benefit it will have on the province.

He said project will strengthen the capacity of police to carry out their policing work to people and communities in the province.

Siapu added that in order for the police to provide the service effectively, they also need proper resources in place to support their work.

“Makira Ulawa province, like other provinces has been faced with logistic challenges both at sea and land and needs proper infrastructure.

“The province has scattered islands and transportation is always an issue especially for police to reach to the islands.

“Now, that the ramp is built, it will ensure proper care and handling of the police fast craft to serve its intended purpose for the province,” he stated.

The premier appeals to Kirakira community and police to care for the project. The date for the handover of the project is yet to be made.

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Foreigners accused of tampering with work permits

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BY BEN BILUA
GIZO

A concerning report has surfaced, alleging that some foreign nationals have been tampering with work permit documents in Solomon Islands for more than two decades.

The report further claims that a number of these individuals have been living and working in the country without renewing their work permits as required by law.

It highlights instances where the same justification such as “training local counterparts” or “transferring knowledge” has been repeatedly used for over 20 years to secure renewals, despite little evidence of actual knowledge transfer taking place.

The situation has raised serious questions about the integrity of the work permit system, prompting calls for the Labour Division to strengthen its scrutiny of permit applications and renewals.

Genuine foreign investors who want their names withheld are calling on the Labor division to thoroughly assess whether such grounds for renewal are still valid or have become routine excuses to bypass immigration laws.

They also highlight a growing trend of foreigners shifting from one company to another immediately after receiving a permit, sometimes without any real investment or contribution to the local economy.

Authorities are being urged to establish stronger tracking mechanisms to prevent exploitation of the system and to ensure accountability.

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Police yet to obtain autopsy report for Lunga murder case

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BY ROMINAH FAKA

The case involving three men accused of murder at the Markworth area in Lunga, East Honiara, in May this year will return to the Magistrate Court on Monday next week, July 28 for plea.

The duty prosecution informed court yesterday that the prosecutor in charge of the file had emailed Henderson Police requesting an update on the autopsy report, but received no response.

The court issued seven days for final adjournment and directed the Henderson police to obtain the autopsy report and submit it to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) by the close of business tomorrow, Wednesday, July 23.

The ODPP are to forward the disclosures to defence by the close of business on Thursday, July 24.

Lastly, the defence lawyers to take instruction from the defendants and prepare them for plea.  

Junior Kupa, 21, Richard Kupa, 25, and Mathias Kupa, 22, are charged with one count of murder.

According to police, the incident occurred on May 10, 2025 at Markworth area, Lunga, Henderson. It is alleged that the deceased was involved in an argument with another individual.

At the time of argument, the other man was reportedly rolling a local cigarette (referred to as savu savu) and holding a can of SB beer.

Police alleged that the deceased approached the man from behind and grabbed the SB can from the man. In response, the man took the can back and allegedly told the deceased that he would not give him any beer, stating that the deceased “always becomes aggressive when he drinks”.

The deceased became angry at the individual and swore at him. In response, the individual reportedly ran back to his house and retrieved a knife, intending to confront the deceased. However, his father intervened and stopped him.

Shortly after, defendant Richard arrived at the scene and asked the individual what kind of insult or swear word the deceased had used against him.

The individual then informed Richard, who proceeded to follow the deceased and kicked the deceased on the right side of his abdomen with his left leg, causing the deceased to fall to the ground and strike his back at the base of a tree.

When the deceased lay on the ground facing upward, the other two defendants, Junior and Mathias, joined Richard and continuously kicked and punched the deceased until he laid still.

Later they rushed the deceased to the hospital however, upon arrival, he was pronounced dead.

A doctor confirmed that the cause of death was due to the assault inflicted by the three defendants.

Paul Junior Fanasia from ODPP is prosecuting and Thompson Fiuga, Lazarus Waroka and Allen Tinoni represent the three defendants.

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