BY ROMINAH FAKA

The case involving three men charged with attempted murder in Koivo village, Guadalcanal, was mentioned in the Magistrate court on Thursday this week.

Prosecution informed court that it had just assigned one of its members on this case, adding that disclosures have not yet been served to defence.

Prosecution further informed court that the investigation into the case is yet to be complete.

They are still waiting for the medical report and autopsy report to be obtained by police and served to the office of public prosecution.

The Presiding Deputy Chief Magistrate, Ricky Iomea further adjourned the matter for seven days, despite prosecution not complying with the court’s previous order to provide disclosures to the defence counsels representing all the accused.

The court suspended proceeding to July 4 for plea.

During this time court has directed the crown to provide disclosures whether partial or full to the defence counsels by close of business yesterday.

Timothy Sagia, Stanley Norman, and Steward Philip Tiva are jointly charged with attempted murder.

According to the allegations, on the evening of May 6, 2024 between 7pm and 8pm, the two victims were reportedly having a few beers following a celebration of a local church saint’s day at Koivo village.

From the allegations, the victims involved were uncle and nephew. It was further alleged that the first victim (the nephew), who was having drinks with loud music, noticed a torchlight coming towards him from behind.

When the first victim got up to see who it was, one the accused allegedly struck his left leg with a bush knife.

After the first victim fell back to the ground lying helplessly, he allegedly saw accused Stanley Norman and Steward Philip Tiva holding bush knives in their right hands beside him.

Allegations said Tiva struck the victim’s backside with a bush knife. Tiva allegedly continued by stabbing the victim’s backside and also cutting the victim’s right arm with the same bush knife.

According to the allegations, the second victim intervened to stop Norman from cutting the first victim with a bush knife. However, Timothy Sagia allegedly struck the second victim twice with a bush knife on his backside.

The second victim escaped the crime scene for safety.

The nearby villagers assisted both to the Good Samaritan Hospital and down to the National Referral Hospital where the victims were admitted.

Seven days later, the first victim passed away from the serious injuries sustained from the knife cuts.

All three accused were arrested and remanded at Rove.

Martha Mutukera appears for the crown and Emy Rusi act for Norman, Benham Ifuto’o act for Sagai and Rochella Palmer act for Tiva.

Former BSP teller who stole more than $500k gets 2 years, 8 months prison time

BY ROMINAH FAKA

The former teller of the Bank of South Pacific (BSP) has been sentenced to two years, eight months in prison for stealing.

On Friday June 28 Principal Magistrate Beneteti Tearo delivered the sentence ruling to Tessa Solenone Rore.

Tearo highlighted that Ms Rore pleaded guilty on February 14, 2024 to two counts of larceny by servant and one count of forgery of certain documents with intention to defraud.

Prosecution along defence agreed and submitted the agreed facts to the court, indicating that the amount stolen by Rore was more than $500,000.

Principal Magistrate Tearo took into consideration aggravating factors in the sentencing.

These factors included the significate amount of money stolen, the breach of trust involved since Rore was a BSP teller and the financial loss suffered by BSP due to Rore’s actions.

In addition to the aggravating factors, court also took into consideration mitigating factors submitted by defence.

For the mitigation factors Rore is first time offender who had no previous criminal record, early guilty plea in which she admitted her wrong at an early stage of the legal proceeding. And her personal circumstances, here her lawyer submitted a sworn statement indicating remorse for her actions and her participation in church activities, which reflects her rehabilitation.  

Court orders the following sentence for Rore count 1 larceny by servant – one year in prison, count 2 larceny by servant – two years and six months in prison, and count 3 forgery of document – two years and eight months in prison.

Court has ordered that the sentence for all three counts against Tessa Solenone Rore will run concurrently. Therefore, Rore will serve a total of two years and eight months in prison for three counts combined.

Jonathan Auga of Director of Public of Public Prosecution Office act for the crown and Emy Rusi act for Rore.

BY ROMINAH FAKA

Sentencing into the case of former BSP Teller further has adjourned for June 28.

On Thursday June 20 the matter was mentioned in the Magistrate court for delivering of sentence however, the presiding principal magistrate was sick and informed the court of an adjournment.

Tessa Solenone Rore pleaded guilty on the previous hearing to two counts of larceny by servant and one count of forgery of certain documents with intention to defraud.

The allegation

Court heard that Rore was employed as a Money Gram Teller at the Bank of South Pacific Limited (BSP), Central Honiara branch, since April 16, 2015.

The allegations against the accused arose when BSP customers made enquiries to the bank about suspicious withdrawals and deposits in or from their personal bank accounts in 2020.

The accused was removed from the till and the BSP Operational Risk Unit conducted an internal assessment.

It was discovered that the shortage amount from the till was around $422,737.40.

The accused took out money from the till or drawer, which resulted in cash shortages and she would do withdrawals from customer’s accounts to balance the till at the end of each business day.

Prosecution further states, on the next business day, she would deposit the money back to the customer’s account from the till.

The total amount the accused stole was more than $ 500,000.

It has been discovered that the accused had done these fraudulent transactions on 40 customers’ accounts since April, 2020.

In the month of August 2020, the accused was officially terminated from her employment.

Jonathan Auga of DPP Office act for the State and Emy Rusi of PSO act for the Accused.

BY ROMINAH FAKA

The case of an off-duty police officer who was killed at the Dragon Pub in the Kukum area in May this year has been further suspended for July 1 for police to complete investigations and obtain outstanding documents.

Paul Daopuri, 35, and James Solomon Kai, 21, are remanded in custody, charged with the murder of the police officer.

Prosecution informed court yesterday investigations is yet to complete with outstanding documents yet to be obtained for the two accused – the autopsy report and forensic photo album.

Perusal disclosures have been served to the Public Solicitors.

However, for accused James Solomon Kai he was represented by defence counsel Hubert Fugui and his lawyer did not appear in court yesterday.

Magistrate made summons for the police investigator to appear in court on the next mention date to explain the status of the investigations.

Court suspended for July 1 for mention and full disclosures to be served to defence for both accused.

Allegation say the deceased and his colleague, along with the colleague’s wife, went to the Dragon Pub on the night of May 16 for drinks.

Some times between 12am and 1am an argument broke out between the deceased and a group of men, following an assault on his colleague’s wife in which a bottle was allegedly smashed against her head causing her to fall to the ground unconscious.

It was alleged that during the course of the argument the deceased took out and applied a pepper spray on the group of men.

The deceased was later dragged out of the Pub by off-duty security Daopuri, where the deceased was attacked by a group of more than 10 men outside the Pub.

The allegation furthers Daopuri joined in the attack, using a snooker cue stick with which he used to beat the deceased’s head multiple times.

The second accused Solomon Kai, nicknamed Solo, allegedly attacked the deceased using a bottle.

A policeman who arrived at the scene intervened and took the deceased to National Referral Hospital (NRH) where he pronounced dead.

Myrella Cleven appears for the crown and Daniel Kwalai appears or Daopuri.

BY ROMINAH FAKA

The case against a man accused of killing a girl at Marau in October last year was mentioned in the Magistrate court yesterday for extension of the remand warrant of the accused.

Magistrate Dalcy Belapitu Oligari made directions for the matter to be first call-over at High Court on June 28 at 1.30pm.

Constance Manepania is charged with one count of murder to which he pleaded not guilty, and a committal deposition was filed in court where court found there was sufficient evidence to commit the matter to the High court trial.

Police alleged October 8, 2023 late in the evening, the deceased and some of her relatives boarded a canoe to an island called Ravi within the Marau area to sleep over for fishing during the night time.

Next day at about 8am, the deceased and two other relatives boarded another canoe to the mainland to collect food and water for the group on the island.

When they reached mainland, they dug some swamp taro, refilled some containers of water.

At about 4pm the deceased and the other girls loaded their canoe and departed for Ravi Island.

About few metres from the mainland the deceased complained that her body was not feeling good, and was afraid to go to Ravi Island, so she decided to stay back on the mainland.

The other girls left the deceased along the shore so that she could walk back home.

The deceased then left Tawanikeni village along the sea shore back to her village Kompa’u.

Prosecution alleged that it was on her way back to her home village that the accused attacked her.

A witness who was on his way along the airport that day heard a sound of a crying person. When the witness got closer to where the crying sound came from, he saw Manepania holding a bush knife in his right hand.

Manepania led the witness to where the deceased was lying unconscious then he stepped onto the deceased’s forehead and squeezed the neck of the deceased until she stopped breathing.

After that Manepania demanded and ordered the witness to take the dead body down to the sea and sink it.

The accused allegedly threatened the witness to carry out this act, saying he would cut the witness with the bush knife if he did not comply.

Police at Marau received a report of the incident on October 10, 2023, when villagers around Marau area saw the deceased’s body washed ashore in front of the Conflict Lodge.

Paul Fanasia of DPP appears for the Crown and Delilah Kukura of PSO appears for Manepania.

BY ROMINAH FAKA

Trial into the case against a police officer accused of stealing $300,000 kept as exhibit at the Police storage facilities in Rove, Honiara in 2020 is set for October 7.

Makasi Dolaiano is facing one count of stealing as a clerk and he denied the charge by pleading not guilty.

Yesterday the matter was called at Magistrate court for interim-mention where parties informed the court they had no issues at this stage.

Court suspended for July 3 for next interim-mention date, and the accused is excused from appearing in court.

Prosecution allege that the defendant stole $336,891.20 that was kept as an exhibit for a trial in the Honiara Magistrate Court in October 2020.

It was further alleged that the defendant was said to be one of the officers manning the exhibit storage facility at the time when the $300k went missing in October 2020.

The $300k belong to One Link Pacifica customers and served as evidence and exhibit in a case against the owners of the failed money scheme in 2020.

Police recovered the monies after they arrested the manager of the money investment scheme in April 2020.

The $300k was initially kept at the exhibit storage facility at the Central Police Station and then transferred to the exhibit storage facility at the Rove Police Headquarters where it went missing.

George Gray of Public Solicitor’s Office represents Dolaiano and Mrs Olivia Ratu Manu of Office of Public Prosecution act for the Crown.