BY ROMINAH FAKA

Court has summoned a man in a drug bust case to attend court on Thursday 21 March at 9am.

Beatrice Umea and Etekia Kauai are charged with attempting to export a prohibited item. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Both did not attend the previous hearing on the case and court issued a summons for them to do so.

However, yesterday Mr Kauai did not turn up, and court instructed both prosecution and investigators to summon Kauai in the next hearing, which is today.

The two accused are charged in relation to an allegation on June 19, 2019 at the Henderson International Airport.

Prosecution alleged the accused packed eight packets of marijuana inside a speaker in 20 cm by 20 cm plastic bags. This was taken to the airport, where accused Umea was on check-in duty for Solomon Airlines.

It was further alleged that Kauai took the package to Umea and she accepted the package as unaccompanied luggage, but tagged the package to a passenger whom she had already checked in.

When the package went through the screening, suspicious arose, the speaker was unscrewed and the packets of Marijuana were found, before it was loaded onto the flight.

The police then arrested both the accused and charge them jointly for one count of attempting to export a dangerous drug under the Dangerous Drugs Act.

Public Prosecutor Steward Tonowane is appearing for the Crown.

BY ROMINAH FAKA

A 17-year-old male is in police custody following the death of a 37-year-old man at the Kukum Heights last week.

Police commissioner Mostyn Mangau told a press conference yesterday that the deceased had dropped off a taxi and was making his way towards his residence.

Along the way he approached a group of male youths sitting beside the road and asked for a cigarette, Mangau said.

He then left the youths and continued towards his house.

The suspect, who was reportedly under the influence of liquor, followed the victim and assaulted him at the back of his head, causing the victim to fall to the ground unconscious, Mangau said.

The youths went over and separated the suspect from the victim.

The brother of the victim who was at the scene and two other boys rushed the victim to the hospital for attention, however he was pronounced dead at the National Referral Hospital, Mangau said.

Mangau conveyed his condolences to the family of the deceased and urged public to assist police with information relating to the incident.

BY ROMINAH FAKA

The case against a former BSP teller was administratively adjourned yesterday because the presiding magistrate was away at the High Court.

The matter returns to court on April 3 for oral submission and mitigation submissions from the counsels, and for the summary of agreed facts to be presented to the court.

Bail for the accused was extended.

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

Allegations had said Rore was employed as a Money Gram Teller at the Bank of South Pacific Limited (BSP), Central Honiara branch, starting from April 16, 2015.

Allegations against the accused arose when BSP customers made an enquiry to the bank about suspicious withdrawals and deposits in 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 $400,000.

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

Prosecution said the next business day, she would deposit the money back to the customer’s accounts from the till.

The accused had committed these fraudulent transactions on 40 customers’ accounts since April 2020.

According to the investigation report, the total amount the accused stole from the till is about $500,000.

In 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.

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BY ROMINAH FAKA

A 62-year-old man is facing court over allegations of having sexual intercourse with two girls under the age of 15.

The accused, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the alleged victims, faces two counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 15. He is accused of committing these acts on two separate girls, one four years old and the other a five-year-old.

The accused told court yesterday during the first mention of his case that he was without legal representation.

Prosecution updated the court that investigations have completed and they are waiting for the accused to confirm his legal representative before they can serve disclosures.

Court adjourned for April 3 to allow the accused to seek legal representation from the Public Solicitors (PSO) and directed prosecution to serve disclosures to the PSO during the course of adjournment.

Police bail for the accused was extended, and he is required to appear in court on April 3 for court to impose a court bail on him.

Prosecution alleged that the accused had sexual intercourse with the two alleged victims at LDA, Betikama area, Guadalcanal Province on August 6, 2022.

Allegation said that day, the accused lured the two girls promising them he would give them money, and took them to a house at the Betikama area.

There he allegedly had sexual intercourse with both girls. He allegedly later told them not to tell anyone about what had happened.

The DPP office acts for the State.

A pastor and 8 men accused of malicious damage, criminal trespass on Savo face court

BY ROMINAH FAKA

A pastor and eight men who reportedly went to Savo island and threatened people and damaged properties faced court yesterday.
The nine accused told court that they are yet to have legal representation.
The men are alleged of having gone to a community on Savo island where they demanded $10,000 compensation, threatened people and damaged properties.
They are facing joint charges of criminal trespass and malicious damage.
Accused are Pastor Bernard Bana, 34, Charles Bane, 72, David Bane, 35, Junior Rollin, 27, Thomas Fenli, 37, Albert Ramo, 21, Rolland Fiu, 41, Patterson Iugasia, 38, and Jacob Gore, 47.
Mr Rollin faces an extra charge of being in possession of a firearm.
Police prosecution told court the file was only transferred to their office on Tuesday this week from the Office of Public Prosecution and that investigation is yet to be completed as there are few outstanding documents to be obtained, the photos of the crime scene and of the damaged properties.
Prosecution sought a 14-day adjournment to allow police in Tulagi to complete their investigations.
A defence counsel informed court that all the accused are yet to engage a legal representative from Public Solicitors.
Court adjourned for April 3.
Remand warrant for the nine accused was extended.
Allegations said leading up to the incident, Pr Bana had locked up church properties which had been presented to the Bazo SSEC church on Savo by sister churches on Honiara.
This reportedly did not go down well with the Bazo community.
This disagreement eventually led to Bana leaving Bazo for Honiara in January this year.
Two weeks later Bana’s wife returned to Bazo to collect their belongings.
It is alleged while she was packing up their belongings, a man (who would later become the complainant in this case) approached the pastor’s wife and told her to leave the church properties alone.
The wife reported this to her husband (Bana) upon return and he responded by telling her to inform the Bazo community and the man who had approached her to prepare $10,000 as compensation for him (Bana).
On Thursday, February 22 Bana and the other eight defendants met near the Yacht club sea front where Bana paid a sea fare of $700 and they crossed to Bazo Village, Savo at 5pm.
Allegations continue that they first shored at Koromilo village where they unloaded seven cartons of beer and headed to Mora village.
They arrived around 6pm in the evening and walked straight to Bazo village, to the complainant’s house.
The complainant and his family were in their kitchen having dinner when defendant David Bane came and spoke with him. One of the defendants threw a punch at the complainant but missed.
One of the defendants grabbed the complainant’s shirt while another defendant who was armed with an axe moved in to attack the complainant. However, the complainant freed himself and escaped.
Rollin gave chase with his home-made pistol but could not catch him, so he returned and threatened one of the villagers with the weapon, it is alleged.
The defendants then turned on the complainant’s house and properties and damaged it.
The total amount of the damaged properties is reportedly $10,470. These include the damaged solar watts, large bucket, pieces of iron roofing, pots, cups, plates, spoon, luggage basket, dwelling house and kitchen house.
Allegations added that on February 23 the defendants to 16 pieces of roofing iron and a tank belonging to the Bazo church and sold them to some people from nearby Lokanipeo village.
Bazo community reported the matter to the police.
On Saturday, February 24 the defendants were about to board a boat back to Honiara when the Police Response Team arrived and apprehended all the defendants and escorted them to Tulagi police station.
Next day they were escorted to Honiara and have been remanded in the custody since.
Police Prosecution John Mark Saugaro appears for the Crown.