A man who was found guilty for killing another man has been given a life sentence, with chances for parole after 12 years.
The murder took place at Avatai village, Lavaggu, west Rennell on February this year.
High Court Judge Justice Maelyn Bird after imposing a life sentence also made orders that the minimum sentence the defendant will serve before entitled to parole is 12 years.
shley Ghapuika was charged with one count of murder contrary to section 200 of the Penal Code (Cap 26).
Justice Bird said the charge of murder is one of the most serious of offences prescribed under the laws in the country, to manifest its seriousness, the maximum sentence that the courts will impose is one mandatory life imprisonment.
The incident occurred on February 15, 2021 between 7am and 8am, the deceased and one other went to light their solbako smoke at a kitchen, when the defendant went into the kitchen holding a 24 inches long bush knife.
“You went and stood behind the deceased and cut the deceased behind his neck and pulled out the knife full of blood. The deceased slowly fell down on the floor of the kitchen. You were still standing behind him. You held the knife and hid it behind your legs, you then retreated to the kitchen door, went out from the kitchen and escaped along the road towards Lake Tegano, the deceased was transport to Tigoa Mini Hospital but died,” Ms Bird said.
Bird also said according to the autopsy report dated February 16, 2021 by Dr Roy Maraka, it shows injuries to the neck causing death.
Upon conviction for the offence of murder, the courts are obliged to impose the mandatory life imprisonment on an offender. Apart from imposing that sentence, the court is also required to determine and consider the minimum sentence that the accused must serve before he/she is entitled for parole.
“I must take into account the facts of your case, the aggravating and the mitigating features tother with case authorities in this jurisdiction.
“I have also taken note that whilst in remand in custody, you have involved yourself in prayer activities and bible studies, I must say that it is a way forward for yourself and you are expected to live a changed life onwards. Learn from this mistake and try not to reoffend in future,” Bird said.
Margaret Suifa’asia and Martha Matukera of the Office of the Director Public Prosecution appears for the crown while Allan Tinoni of the Public Solicitor’s Office represents the accused
THE Chief Education Officer of Western Province has called on the government to further scrutinise section 47 of the Public Health Emergency Bill.
Section 47 (1 and 2) of the Bill provides administrative penalties by way of forfeiting property and payment of costs.
Commenting during the inquiry hearing on the bill last week, Mr Hopeful Piosasa said Section [47] needs to be expanded to look at the seriousness of nuisance or offences against the particular section and relevant penalties that are applicable.
He said general interpretation of the clues carry more complication in practical sense as forfeiting of properties satisfies the law but causing hardship to citizens.
“We need to expand the clues based on a more practical way – penalties must value the offence. Forfeiting citizen’s properties is taking away properties from citizen’s hard earning and lives.
“For example, if a person deliberately not wearing a mask, the government should penalise the person based on the seriousness of the offence.
“But, if there is a building or property that continuously creating situation that breached the public emergency law, or situation where can affect the health of the people, then the provision should apply,” Piosasa said.
He said the bill is established to deal with emergency situations, and offences will not only be committed by Solomon Islanders but also by foreigners.
Piosasa suggests that the penalties should have equal emphasis on both locals and foreigners as the only way for the virus to enter the country is from the outside.
He said foreign threat is more serious than domestic threats as such strong warning should be enforced on foreigners or foreign vessels.
“It could be a fishing boat illegally fish within our EEZ or it could be somebody coming in illegally.
“There has be some kind of expansion on this clue to accommodate such scenarios.
“Like for example, if a foreign vessel illegally enter Solomon Islands, the government may forfeit the ship.
“But if this clue is only applicable to Solomon Islanders, rightly and logically we need to look at the seriousness of the offence before jumping into applying the provision – meaning relevant penalties should apply,” Piosasa said.
In Malaita and across Solomon Islands, roads, bridges, and airports are vital connectors between people, markets and essential services.
In Malaita, the Solomon Islands Roads and Aviation Project (SIRAP) is moving towards the construction of three bridges and rehabilitation of roads that will ensure faster, safer and easier access to health services, education and family across the province.
Tender processes and bid selections are underway for three bridges on the North Road (at Koa, Bio 1 and Bio 2) as well as unsealed road rehabilitation that will see major repairs to all 42 kilometres of the East Road and 17 kilometres of the North Road, improving connections and trade for thousands of Malaitans.
In Malaita, nearly 110,000 people (almost 70 percent of Malaita province population or 18 percent of the total country population) living in the 19 wards connected by the main roads included under the project are set to gain direct benefits from the project.
An additional 15,000 people in five additional wards that connect to the main road network by boat will also see benefits from the project.
In Western Province, the project is moving ahead with critical work on Munda Airport to ensure more reliable air travel to the tourism hub; supporting hundreds of jobs for the province, both during construction and through tourism opportunities in the future.
Early designs for the Munda International Terminal have been submitted ahead of schedule and once work commences construction will be carried out over an 18-month period.
The tender process for the refurbishment of the runway at Munda airfield is currently open. This activity will require specialised heavy equipment being brought into the province to ensure repair works are long-lasting and sustainable.
“We are pleased to see SIRAP moving ahead in both Western Province and Malaita, which is where the majority of SIRAP’s roads work will take place,” said Moses Virivolomo, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communication and Aviation.
“These important early preparation stages will soon lead to construction, delivering lasting benefits for the people of Western and Malaita provinces and beyond.”
“Long term investments in safer, more reliable and lasting transport infrastructure is key in ensuring our people and provinces can thrive into the future. These works in Malaita and Western Province will not only improve trade and access to markets but will connect people and families across the province with essential services and each other,” said Mike Qaqara, Acting Director of Civil Engineering in the Ministry of Infrastructure Development.
“Despite the challenges being presented by the COVID pandemic we look forward to progressing this project as quickly as possible across the country. The Solomon Islands Road and Aviation Project is being implemented by the Solomon Islands Government, with funding from the World Bank. The US$56.1 million project is funded through a US$20.5 million grant and US$30.5 million credit from the World Bank, with the Solomon Islands Government providing US$5.1 million for complimentary projects and support.
Isabel Provincial Health Director Dr Tony Quity, who is also the son of Rt Reverend Bishop Ellison Quity, taking his COVID-19 jab at the launch event.
ISABEL Province launched its COVID-19 vaccination program Monday, which saw heads and representatives of the tri-system of governance – Premier Leslie Kikolo, Rt. Reverend Bishop Ellison Quity and Chiefs rep Oliver Hiromana taking their first jabs.
The launch made Isabel the 7th province to launch and commence roll out of COVID-19 vaccines – leaving Makira, Temotu and Rennell and Bellona the remaining provinces.
Over 100 people – both government workers including the public gathered – gathered at Buala for the event.
Many listened with great curiosity.
Speeches delivered at the launch event and the vaccination of leaders that followed greatly helped to address doubts, fear and anxieties amongst the public.
Isabel Provincial Health Director Dr Tony Quity in his address highlighted the need for people to get vaccinated.
“These vaccines itself, its availability in the province or country, will do nothing to us if all persons 18 years and above in Isabel and the country do not come forward to get it,” Dr Quity said.
Premier of Isabel Leslie Kikolo, Chief Rep Oliver Hiromana & Rt. Reverend Bishop Ellison Quity all receiving COVID-19 vaccine jabs at the launch event.
“Getting the vaccines into our bodies is what matters the most,” he added.
“Our provincial health system though work is ongoing to improve it, is not yet enough to be able to tackle any community transmission of the virus.
“Thus, the only means there is to enable us effectively fight against the health effects of CVOID-19 is to get vaccinated.”
Representative of the chiefs, Oliver Hiromana in his remarks strongly urges the people of Isabel to not take the vaccine roll out lightly.
“Our government and the Ministry of Health have worked really hard to get these vaccines to our province so we must play our part in coming forward to get vaccinated,” Hiromana said.
“Besides, we have heard that our children below 18 years are not yet eligible, which means their protection against the COVID-19 very much lies with us the adults in getting vaccinated,” he added.
Church representative Rt. Reverend Bishop Ellison Quity advocated for ethical decisions to be made with regards to the vaccines, especially at this time of pandemic.
“Ethical decisions are needed more than ever to save us from the pandemic,” Rev Quity said.
“We do not have the cure thus we need to take preventative measures, as prevention is better than cure,” he added.
“Refusing to get vaccinated, you will be the one spreading the virus thus causing harm to others.
“If your wife or husband, children or any members of your family gets really sick, hospitalized or die because they contract the virus from you, do not blame the government, nor the church and chiefs.
“Blame yourselves.
“COVID-19 does not respect anyone, weather you’re a clergy man, politician, or someone of high or low status it can affect us all.”
Health Permanent Secretary Pauline McNeil, who was in Isabel early this week to join the launch program, shared the realities of the devastation caused by the virus globally as well as within the Pacific region.
Mothers who are part of the crowd coming forward to witness vaccination of their leaders
“Let me be frank, as I speak, families are torn, children left without parents, pregnant mothers who rightfully deserve to be the first to hold the new life that they bring into the world instead die while giving birth,” McNeil said.
“Couples and family members saying their final goodbyes only through mobile phones, medical workers playing God as to who lives and who dies due to shortage of oxygen bottles, economies shrink and people left without jobs, lockdown badly affecting livelihood, let alone the mental health issues.
“These are real devastating experiences caused by COVID-19,” she added.
“Unimaginable if it was to happen to us, that is the very reason why the Ministry of Health is working tirelessly to get the vaccines close to you and the only request we have to all of you is to come forward and get vaccinated.
“It is safe and effective to prevent us from falling severely sick, hospitalized and die from COVID-19. It is COVID-19 that kills.”
Premier Kikolo told those who attended that at the start of the pandemic, the people of Isabel have been adhering to COVID-19 public health measures as instructed by public health experts, including limiting travels outside of our borders.
“These have greatly enabled us to keep us safe from COVID-19,” Kikolo said.
“Today we have another opportunity to further enhance our ability to stay protected against COVID-19 diseases through the COVID-19 vaccines which is also the most best and effective means through which we can return to normalcy,” he added.
“In the event of a community transmission, getting fully vaccinated can help in breaking the chain of transmission, protecting others and stop further development of new strains.
Isabel panpipe group providing entertainment
“These are messages from our health experts which we must pay close attention to and action immediately by taking the vaccines.”
Kikolo also used the occasion to reiterate the, “No Jab, No Job” policy of the government while assuring that Isabel provincial government will continue to support the national government, ministry of health and provincial health teams in the current efforts against COVID-19 and vaccination roll out.
Over 21,000 people in Isabel province are eligible to receive the vaccines.
Total of 3,200 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine doses have been deployed to the province for initial roll out with more batches of the vaccines to be deployed in the coming weeks and months.
Following the launch, 235 doses have been administered which is the highest recorded so far from all provincial launches and MHMS is looking forward to similar outcomes with vaccine launch from the remaining provinces.
An overwhelmng turn-out for the vaccination launch in Auki.
A total of 73,780 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered so far, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare says.
The Prime Minister said the total doses include both Sinopharm and AstraZeneca 1st and 2nd doses.
He said over the past five weeks, from July 17 to August 20, 2021, a total of 38,118 doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered, compared to 35,662 doses in the 16 weeks between the launch on March 23 to July 17 this year.
Sogavare said this represents an average of 7,623 vaccination doses administered per week, compared to an average of 2,220 doses administered per week, in the 16 weeks between March 23 to July 17, 2021.
“Let me thank all of you, members of the public for turning out in numbers to get your vaccination doses. Please let us keep driving our vaccination efforts together to ensure as many as possible are vaccinated as soon as possible. That is the surest way to protect our children that cannot be vaccinated,” he said.
The Prime Minister said at least 18,217 people have received their 2nd dose of vaccine.
He said they are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
“They are now safe from falling severely ill, or from hospitalization or even death from COVID-19 in the event of a community transmission,” he said.
The Prime Minister said these 18,217 individuals, representing only 4.4 percent of the total eligible population of 414,327 people, will slow down community transmission and protect children below 18 years of age.
“We need to increase this percentage to above 80 % to be able to protect those that cannot be vaccinated,” he said.
Prime Minister Sogavare said a further 37,346 (9.0%) people have received their first doses and are expected to get their second doses.
“Please ensure that you return for your second dose on the time written on your cards or 7 – 14 days before or after the date on your cards,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said 8.8 percent of the target population in Honiara and Guadalcanal province have been fully vaccinated.
For Choiseul province 10.1% and for Western province 4.1 percent.
“Nationally 13.4% of the eligible population have received either one or 2 doses of COVID vaccine. We will continue to provide updates on the progress each week,” he said.
The COVID-19 vaccination roll-out in Honiara, Western, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Malaita, and Central Provinces are continuing.
Prime Minister Sogavare said the vaccination launch also kicked off in Isabel Province today.
The roll out in Renbel province will start on August 30.
Hon Nelson Lenty (left) receives the copy of the petition from Mr Knoxly Atu (right) in-front of the assembly chamber building in Auki yesterday.
Petition to MARA govt demanding removal of Sogavare’s secret agent
BY SAMIE WAIKORI
Auki
A GROUP of Malaitans yesterday staged a peaceful protest in provincial capital Auki to demand the removal of deputy premier Randol Sifoni.
They accuse Mr Sifoni of “secretly” working with PM Sogavare’s government to change the leadership of the MARA provincial government, headed by Daniel Suidani, who is currently in Brisbane awaiting his flight home.
The protest to remove Sifoni comes days after he was accused of issuing a letter to the media last week, without the provincial executive’s knowledge, stating the Malaita Provincial Government did not support the petition a Honiara-based Malaita group submitted to the Prime Minister’s office.
The protesting group has demanded Sifoni to step down within 24 hours for his alleged working against the MARA government.
The group presented a petition to the MARA government to back their call, which provincial finance minister Nelson Lenty received on behalf of Premier Suidani and his executive.
Part of the crowd gathered in front of the assembly chamber during the presentation of the petition to the MARA government.
Knoxly Atu, spokesman for the group, delivered the petition, which states:
1, The decision reached demanded that we no longer have confidence in his (Sifoni’s) leadership and must tender his resignation immediately.
2, He must not stand against the constitutional rights of Malaita Honiara community and their petition to Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.
3, He has been working in secret with the DCGA with the aim of changing the leadership of MARA government by allegedly giving 11 executive members $10,000 each.
4, He has been working behind the fence with the aim to amend the Auki Communiqué.
5, We demand that the MPG (MARA executive) to remove the deputy premier from his position within 24 hours.
Receiving the petition, Mr Lenty thanked the group of their peaceful protest.
He said the office of the premier will always listen, be obliged and respect people’s democratic right and will never oppress the people.
Lenty said the MARA government started its executive meeting yesterday and they will do their best to look into the matter within the next 24 hours.
“On behalf of the office of premier, I call on you to hold on to the respect you had shown during the protest because this is Malaita, our place and all people and properties around are ours,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the police in Auki, Michael Ramosaea appealed to the public of Auki to maintain peace and refrain from instigating any unlawful activities.
He said since the petition is now with the executive, people must allow them to look through and address the issue.
Ramosaea thanked the crowd for their peaceful behaviour.
TWO children have died of whooping cough in Mbabanakira, Guadalcanal Province as the province’s Health sector declares whooping cough an outbreak.
Dr Joel Denty, provincial health director to Guadalcanal, confirmed this report to Island Sun yesterday.
“I have confirmed this report with the nurse in charge at Mbabanakira clinic. One died in the village while the other died at the clinic.
“I can also confirm from my rural nurses that Whooping cough (signs & symptoms) has now become an outbreak in most parts of Guadalcanal (as well as Honiara) from the past two months up to now,” Denty echoed.
He stressed, at the moment the Guadalcanal Province clinical staffs are trying their best to reduce the negative effects in small children.
“Our clinical staffs are trying their best to reduce the negative effects especially in small children but some mentioned that the appropriate medication might soon run out in their clinics if this surge in numbers continues,” Denty said.
He said the Provincial Health Services is facing a huge challenge because it to address the rising whooping cough issue while rolling out covid-19 vaccinations across Guadalcanal.
Whooping cough reportedly was introduced to the country in the 1920s. In the following decades several epidemics ravaged parts of Solomon Islands.
However, successful vaccination programmes during the colonial days wiped out the bacteria-disease, and by the 1970s it was relatively unknown.
Early this year, reports began popping up in social media of whooping cough-like symptoms in various parts of the country, including Honiara.
By June this year, some medical practitioners came out on social media confirming incidences of whooping cough.
Whooping cough, also known as Pertussis, is a highly contagious respiratory disease. It is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Pertussis is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe. After cough fits, someone with pertussis often needs to take deep breaths, which result in a “whooping” sound. Pertussis can affect people of all ages, but can be very serious, even deadly, for babies less than a year old [Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)]
AS demand for workforce under the Pacific Labour Scheme in Australia increase to 12,500 for all Pacific Island countries to apply, the Ministry of Commerce, Industries, Labour & Immigration has temporarily halted the fast processing of passports.
This followed high inflow of applicants everyday who paid $1300 to get their passports printed within five working days.
The normal passport application fee is $1000 to print passports within two weeks.
Majority of the applicants are applying for new passports to meet the deadline of Labour Mobility Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work as seasonal workers in Australia’s farms.
Permanent Secretary Riley Mesepitu said the volume of applications received is not possible for Immigration officers to make fast processing on the machine because it may result in overheating.
Mesepitu to make it fair it is good for everyone to pay $1000 because even if you pay $1300, you will not get your passports in time due to overwhelming number received every day.
He said this is a first kind of experience which the Immigration officers try their best to meet demand.
The Immigration department has recorded an influx of applications for passport this year due to the large number of people applying to work in Australia.
Normally, the peak period for the Immigration office was from January and February because students have to travel to study in universities outside the country.
A senior immigration officer said in the first quarter (January to March), there were 1,000 applications.
“In one day, there are 30 to 40 applications and could increase to 60 applications in the some day,” the officer said.
The officer said it is a busy year for them as people continue to flood their office every day.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade aims to send more than 2,000 workers to work in Australia by end of this year.
TWO Solomon Islands men working under the Pacific Labour Scheme in Australia have involved in a brawl at Camp Moogerah in Queensland at 2am on Sunday.
Solomon Islands High Commissioner in Canberra, Robert Sisilo, confirmed the incident, adding one is in hospital while the other is in police custody.
Sisilo said he is still waiting for details from relevant authorities.
Reports claimed one of the men, who was believed to be under the influence of alcohol, stabbed another boy.
This resulted in the arrival of an ambulance and police intervention.
Island Sun has sent an email to Labour Mobility Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade but has not received any reply before the paper went to press last night.
The incident came following the recent involvement of three Solomon Islanders in a fatal car crash in Queensland.
It was reported then that two men age 34 and 39 years have died while a 24-year-old was recovering in Brisbane hospital.
Recently, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade encouraged Solomon Islanders to be good ambassadors when working in Australia.
Minister Manele recently told Parliament that the labour mobility arrangement is the priority of the government because it relieves the pressure on unemployment in the country.
Furthermore, he reminded those selected to take seriously not to just earn income for their families and country but to be good ambassadors.
Manele said there were feedbacks from their employers that they practiced littering and sleep late for their work in the morning.
Opposition Leader, Mathew Wale recently encourage the government to send more workers to Australia to make use of the 12,500 spaces offered by Australia government for Pacific Islands countries.
