THE Provincial Police Commander Western Province, Chief Superintendent Mathias Lenialu calls on the people in the Western Province to observe law and order as they go to the polls to elect new members of the Western Provincial Assembly tomorrow.

“I want to call on the people of Western Province to exercise your democratic rights in a respectful and peaceful way.

“Respect each other, supporters and the candidates. And I further call on people to accept whatever the outcome of the election.

“All alcohol outlets will be closed as liquor will be banned from June 13 to 14, 2018 across Western Province and all alcohol related issues will not be tolerated.

“Police officers will be posted at all the 101 polling stations to ensure that the event will be crime free to allow the more than 77,000 registered voters to exercise their democratic right to vote without any threats to their livelihood.

“I also want to encourage community leaders and elders, church leaders, women, youth and children to work together with police officers in the days leading up to the election, on the actual day of the election and after the election.

“I also want to urge the supporters of the winning candidates after the provincial assembly election to celebrate in a responsible manner.”

–POLICE MEDIA

THE Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Choiseul Province, Superintendent Vincent Eria calls for a crime-free provincial assembly election tomorrow.

“I want to call on the people of Choiseul Province to exercise your democratic rights in a respectful and peaceful manner. Respect each other, supporters and the candidates. And I further call on people to respect the outcome of the provincial election,” says PPC Eria.

“All alcohol outlets will be closed as liquor will be banned on June 13 – 14, 2018 across Choiseul Province and all alcohol related issues will not be tolerated.

“I appeal to the licence holders to respect the Order from the Choiseul provincial government.

“I also want to emphasise here that chiefs, community leaders and elders, church leaders, crime prevention committees, women, youth and children to work together with police officers and the officers of the Electoral Commission to ensure the day is a success.

“Police officers will be posted at all the polling stations throughout the province to ensure that the event will be crime free so that the registered voters will exercise their democratic right to vote without fear or unnecessary influence.

“I urge all of us to work together to make this provincial assembly election a peaceful and crime-free one for the people of Choiseul province.”

–POLICE MEDIA

POLICE at Tulagi in the Central province have arrested and charged a 51-year-old man from Tangare settlement near Hagalu Village in Big Ngella on June 2, 2018 for several counts of alleged rape.

Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Superintendent Patricia Leta says, “The alleged rape incident happened between May 9 and June 2, 2018.

“The suspect allegedly lied to the victim that he already returned her $8,000 cash and that he was at his home village in Big Ngella.

“The victim was advised to follow the suspect to his home village so that she could get her money from him.

“Upon arrival she was allegedly detained in the bush between May 9 and June 2, 2018.

“The arrest of the alleged suspect was made possible following the assistance of his relatives at Halavo Village.

“I wish to sincerely thank all my good people of Halavo, Hagalu and Hae Villages for their support in searching for the suspect.

“I wish to thank the relatives of the victim for their understanding by not taking the law into their own hands.

“I wish to remind women and girls to take extra precaution and not to be easily convinced by men who have other motives.

“My good people of Solomon Islands, let us all work together to protect our women and girls from men who do not respect the female members of our communities,” says PPC Leta.

–POLICE MEDIA

POLICE in Kirakira in the Makira-Ulawa province have arrested and charged six teenagers for multiple crimes on June 5, 2018.

Provincial Police Commander(PPC), Makira-Ulawa Province, Superintendent Peter Sitai says, “The youths were charged for allegations of malicious damage, intimidation, going armed in public, criminal trespass, house break-in and restriction of making liquor.

“The alleged suspects will appear in the Kirakira Magistrates’ Court on 19 June 2018 for their plea.

“The alleged charges follow an incident at Pirupiru Community High School on Ulawa Island in Makira on May 28, 2018.

“These youth allegedly trespassed into the school compound and allegedly damaged school properties and threatened the students and staff with bush knives.

“The situation prompted staff and parents to close the school earlier than expected.

“I wish to commend the public for their understanding and the help offered to my officers when they arrived on Ulawa to apprehend the suspects.

“I appeal to parents and village leaders to continue to talk with our young people that such behaviour is unacceptable within our communities and that police will take stern action against anyone who disturbs the peace within our communities especially within a public institution such as our schools.”

–POLICE MEDIA

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

PUBLIC are still shaken over the weekend discovery of a dumped body of a newborn infant at the Randi dumpsite.

Photos of the body has gone viral on social media.

The discovery has led to call for search on the people responsible, condemning the action as murder being very cruel.

Some say that it is not possible for anyone somewhere who would not know a pregnant woman for nine months having a belly bump being reduced just by Friday last week. To add, not seeing the baby as expected.

According to report from Solomon Business Magazine (SBM) Online, an eye-witness described the baby looked very fresh and could have been dumped at the site over night. The deceased baby was believed to be wrapped with a cloth before being dumped.

“One of the persons who sighted the dead-baby described the shocking discovery as cruel after seeing the dead baby lie helplessly in the rubbish at Ranandi,” posted SBM.

The photo of the deceased baby having gone viral raises huge heartache to viewers calling for the police to step in and investigate.

“Justice must be served to both the male and female for their actions,” said a comment.

In response to query yesterday, the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Media Unit said they have not yet received any update from their colleagues along the Eastern Direction of Honiara.

POLICE in Kirakira in the Makira-Ulawa province have arrested and charged three men in their 30s for allegedly stealing chainsaws at the Na’ana Elite logging camp in East Makira recently.

Provincial Police Commander (PPC), Makira-Ulawa Province, Superintendent Peter Sitai says, “The alleged incident occurred on May 22, 2018 Ward 14 in the East Makira constituency.

“The three chainsaws were allegedly stolen by the alleged suspects from a storage cargo container.

“The suspects were charged for alleged simple larceny (stealing) and have been remanded at Kirakira Correctional Centre as police continue to investigate the incident.

“Obtaining any property without the prior consent of the owner is a crime and police will not tolerate this type of behaviour.

“It is the law and police will make sure any person implicated will be prosecuted.

“I commend the public for its initial support leading to the arrest of the three suspects and I further appeal for those who may have further information on the incident to come forward and assist the police investigations.”

Police at Kirakira can be conducted on phones 50299 and 50266 or call the Police National Communication Centre on phone 23666 or the police toll free line 999.

–POLICE MEDIA

POLICE in Auki, Malaita province is clamping down on the production of the illegal substance kwaso with the recent raid on two separate locations near the provincial capital on June 6, 2018.

Police confiscated large amounts of distilled kwaso at two different locations including Ambu Village and in the Tiki area near the Aligegeo provincial secondary school.

A suspect was arrested at Ambu Village and placed in police custody whilst the other two suspects in the Tiki area escaped.

“This is the second time within a period of one month that Police have raided the Tiki area for brewing of kwaso. We are working very hard to curb these illegal activities,” says Acting Provincial Police Commander, Timothy Apaesi.

“We cannot do this alone. We need the support of our communities to get rid of kwaso which is one of the drivers of crime within our communities.

“I want to thank elders of both communities for working together with the police as we fight against these types of criminal activities and call on those who continuously to be involved to refrain from such illegal activities.”

Police in Auki can be contacted on phone 40132 or Police Communications Centre on 23666 or the police toll free number 999.

–POLICE MEDIA

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

CALL continues from the community at Northwest Choiseul for a completion report from the MPA of Varisi Lavata, Ward 12, over Tutu’s Aid Post project.

A small Aid Post building has been reported to be completed there since 2014 however, Tutu community suspect that the money has not been fully utilised.

According to Mr Nerio Ulemiki the media coordinator for Christ the King Parish at Voruvoru reporting, the purpose for the report is for transparency and accountability regarding the $100,000 for Tutu’s aid post project which was hand-delivered to the MPA in 2014 by the MP of Northwest Choiseul.

“The MPA continues to avoid meeting Sabo Community raising suspicions as the last resolution being suggested to resolve the issue is to report the matter to the police for investigation,” said Ulemiki.

“This is why the project completion report is needed for transparency.

“If there is no completion report being transparent to Tutu and the Northwest Choiseul Constituency Office then the matter will be brought to the Ombudsman Office as well.”

Hon Gideon Panisaga the MPA for Ward 12 at Northwest Choiseul could not be reached yesterday but recently in response however, said that the project over Tutu’s Aid Post has already been completed and that the matter queried is confused for Ward 11’s Aid Post.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE case against three Chinese Beche-de-mer exporters will be mentioned again in court today.

This is in relation to the trio; Zhangs Tongzhi, XU Qiang and Sheng Song Frank, who were charged under the Fisheries Management Act.

Their case will be mentioned before Principal Magistrate Ricky Iomea in the Honiara Magistrate Court.

The trio are facing four charges; count one, Artisanal Fishing in indirect association with a registered company without valid and applicable licence contrary to section 43(1)(a) (c) Fisheries Management Act 2015; Count two, Buy or otherwise trade in Fish taken in contravention of the Act contrary to section 27(1) Fisheries Management Act 2015; Count three, Engage in activities relating to fish processing for the purposes of export without valid and applicable licence contrary to section 44(1)(a) as read with section 44(1)(b) and (c) Fisheries Management Act 2015; and Count four, cause or permit a person acting on his behalf to engage in activities of such a kind or type, at a time for which a valid licence or authorisation is required contrary to section 56 (1) (a) as read with (b) Fisheries Management Act 2015.

The trio were charged in relation to the illegal harvesting of sea cucumber species at Ontong Java atoll when the ban was still effective last year.

The defendants on the matter were the beche-de-mer licence export holders to whom government had issued licences when the beche-de-mer ban was lifted last year.

The office of the Director Public Prosecution appears on behalf of the crown.