BY JENNIFER KUSAPA
A MAN who breached lockdown orders has been jailed for 12 months after he pleaded guilty in the Magistrate Court.
Principal Magistrate Augustine Aulanga imposed the sentence yesterday.
Jack Dola and was charged with one count of restriction of movement of persons in Honiara contrary to clause 4 (1) and (2) (a) and (b) of the Emergency Powers (COVID-19) (Honiara Emergency Zone) (Restriction of Movement) Order 2021 and Regulation 15(1) (a), (2) and (4) of the Emergency Powers (COVID19) (No.2) Regulations 2021.
Magistrate Aulanga said Dola is one of those who disobeyed the 36 hours lockdown order that commenced from 6pm on 29th August to 6am on 31st August 2021.
Police said about 1pm on August 29th 2021 Dola was sighted at the Honiara Town Council depot area along the Mbokonavera road, drunk.
“That area is restricted for public movement during the lockdown period.
“At the material time, he should be at his home residence at Koa Hill, an area several hundred meters away from the place he was sighted.
“Dola was apprehended by police at that scene and placed in cell.
“He was not permitted by the authority to venture into the dark along the Honiara Town Council Depot area being a restricted area during that lockdown period.”
Aulanga said the court has reminded that Solomon Islanders must learn to obey the law put down by the State.
“And the accused, as one of the residents in the Emergency zone, should learn to obey the lockdown order by staying at his place of residence at Koa Hill.
“The need for him to drink alcohol that led him to leave his home during that lockdown is not an emergency need or a thing that might be critical or detrimental to his heath.
“I do not see that unless he drinks alcohol, he will die so that he must go out that night to drink with his friends.
“He is a 22-year-old married person and should know better that it is important to do the right thing by staying at home during the lockdown period.
“The need of the country, as stated earlier, to test the preparedness efforts of individuals, communities, organizations and state institutions against this deadly Delta variant virus overrides his right to freedom of movement in order to drink alcohol during a prohibited period, nothing more nothing less,” Aulanga said.
Steward Tonowane of the Office of the Director Public Prosecution appears for the prosecution, while Bobby Harunari of the Public Solicitor’s Office represents the accused.
