BY ROMINAH FAKA
Court has ruled that three men accused of burning two houses at a village in West Guadalcanal have a case to answer.
However, the men were acquitted of a third charge, assault causing body harm, since prosecution failed to bring the witness who is also the complainant.
The ruling was delivered yesterday at the Magistrate Court after defence made a no case to answer submission on Monday this week.
Saverio Mate, 25, Lency Raga, 40 and John Longatabo, 28, were charged jointly with two counts of arson and one count of assault causing bodily harm.
They pleaded not guilty and a trial was conducted before Principal Magistrate Fatimah Taeburi.
Prosecution called two witnessed to testify, the complainant and his wife, and tendered 13 exhibits.
After prosecution closed its case on December 9 defence filed for a no case to answer.
The matter was adjourned to December 16 where court made directions for the defence counsels to file closing submissions.
Prosecution alleged that on October 12, 2022, the defendants were alleged to be part of a group of men that went and asked compensation from the complainant at the Kakalu Village, West Guadalcanal.
They claimed the complainant stole their pig and that he must give them some money, if not they would return and burn down his house.
Later, the defendants went and set fire to the complainant’s two dwelling houses.
With regards to charge of assault causing bodily harm, the three defendants on 11th and 12 of October, 2022 at around 1800hrs to 0400hrs, between Kakalu village and Matakao village, West Guadalcanal, did unlawfully assaulted another person there by occasioning the said person, actual bodily harm by grabbing, kicking his face and also struck his back with the side of a bush knife and shot him with a sling striking his foot with a piece of galvanized iron pipe.
Jeremy Oiofa of DPP appears for the Crown and PSO act for the defendants.
