BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
THE hearing of evidence into the case of a Japanese national alleged for procuration of children for sexual commercial purposes has resumed at the High Court yesterday.
The accused is faced with 15 counts in relation to incidents that occurred in 2016 in Honiara.
The Public Prosecutor Sirepu Ramosaea in her opening remarks before calling the prosecution witnesses said the accused is a Japanese and is been charged with 15 counts of offending under the Penal Code on amended Sexual offending Act 2016.
She said police made an investigation following information they received that the accused engaged in sexual activities taking photographs of children believed to be of Solomon Island girls or children.
Police then searched his hotel room and seized several items including a sonny-laptop belonging to the accused.
The prosecution said in the laptop police found photographs of naked children procuring for commercial and sexual purposes for him.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and a trial date was set.
The first prosecution witness Angela Nandu told the court yesterday that when she saw the defendant taking photographs of children at Karaina sea front on a Saturday in 2016 she never suspects that anything bad would happen.
Prosecution witness said that on a Saturday in 2016 she was at the seaside doing her laundry when she saw the accused taking photos of children swimming in the sea.
The witness said she asked the accused on what he was doing and he said that he worked at the Ministry of Health at the Environment division and what he is doing is just part of his job.
“I also asked him where is he from and he told me that he is from Korea”, the witness said.
The witness also said that after he took photos he shared Lollies to the children.
Yesterday the prosecution only called two witnesses and the trial will continue today.
A private lawyer Michael Pitakaka represents the accused.
