Murder trial resumes in Auki

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE hearing of evidence into the Basakana killing incident which occurred on November 9, 2015 has resumed in the Auki High Court.

The accused on the case, Eddie Arodo, is charged with one count of murder for allegedly killing a woman, Christina Kokoto (deceased), on November 9, 2015.

Prosecution will be calling three witnesses during the trial.

The Director of Public Prosecution Ronald Bei Talasasa in his opening address said the onus is on the prosecution, not only to exclude the defence of provocation, if raised, but also to establish the required intent in the charge of murder.

“That specific intent is that the killing was done with malice aforethought as provided under section 202 of the Penal Code,” Mr Talasasa said in his statement.

The allegation said on Monday November 9, 2015, on the island of Basakana, the deceased was staying at the village, Basakana Village. She decided to go to the garden, to dig potato, at around midday or early part of the afternoon. She asked her daughter, Brenda Kaelonga, to accompany her.

Brenda teaches at Basakana Primary School and had finished at around 11.30am that day and returned to the house.

The allegation further said by the time it was going towards the end of the day, the husband of the deceased asked his family if his wife had returned from the garden but by the early part of the evening, or as night fell, and still she had not returned to the house, her husband decided to follow the way she had gone, to the garden.

The husband with another man upon reaching the garden discovered the body of his wife, lying down on the ground. She had sustained severe injuries on her head, and wrists and she was dead.

The prosecution then alleges that the accused was seen earlier on that day walking towards the garden area of the deceased. This was at about the time the deceased had gone to or at the garden. The accused was later seen, the next day, at the coconut plantation area, hiding.

The matter was reported to the Auki police and the accused was interviewed in which he was charged with murder in relation to that incident.

Ronald Bei Talasasa Jr & Margaret Suifa’asia of the Office of the Director Public Prosecution appears for the crown while Nigel Galo of the Public Solicitor’s Office is representing the accused.

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