BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE

THE Paramount Chief of North Guadalcanal’s Thimbo tribe, Mr Benedict Garimane is calling on the former Member of Parliament for North Guadalcanal constituency, Mr Martin Sopage to explain to the people how he carried out constituency projects during his term as MP, a positon he held for two terms.

He said Mr Sopage is one of the candidates that will contest in the upcoming national elections, and people have been curious and are seeking explanation from him regarding how he took charge of the constituency projects when he was their MP.

Garimane said that these issues include financial assistance given by the government to build a constituency centre, a roofing iron machine, a machine to drill water, Lucas mills, housing project, a health clinic, a roofing iron project, a water tank project and the issue of constituency funds that were transferred to a private account.

With documents to show, he informed the paper that Sopage had received a sum of $500,000 for roofing iron project in 2010 and $300,000 for a 2012 water tank project both under the Ministry of Rural Development Project.

Garimane adds that an amount of $1,200,264 was also received by a private account instead of being deposited into the constituency’s account.

The paper was able to contact Sopage, who explained that during his two terms as North Guadalcanal’s member of parliament, the government had carried out auditing work in the constituency where people were questioned about the projects he carried out.

He also said that everything he had done was audited and he was not questioned about it.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE court was told yesterday that investigation into the case against a man charged for three counts of sexual offence and one count of intimidation is still pending.

Public Prosecutor Dalcy Belapitu, under instruction from colleague in carriage of the case, said police investigators are yet to complete the investigation – this is in regards to the photographs and the sketch place of the crime scene.

Ms Belapitu said once all required documents are collected they will serve it to the defence before the accused can enter his plea on the charges against him.

Meanwhile the accused also told the court that he is yet to secure any lawyer to assist him with his cases.

Principal Magistrate Jim Seuika then adjourned the case to May 10 to allow prosecution time to gather all outstanding evidence and also for the accused to secure a lawyer to represent him in court.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

PRINCIPAL Magistrate Jim Seuika has committed the Bauro murder case to the High Court.

Magistrate Seuika said after having looked through the documents tendered by the prosecution, at this stage prosecution is yet to prove the charge of murder as they are still to produce additional evidence relating to the case at the High Court.

Prosecution yesterday tendered the preliminary documents to the court and also made an application that prosecution will still tender additional documents to the High Court, this is in regards to the autopsy report.

Prosecutor Dalcy Belapitu, who appears on instruction of her colleague prosecutor, said that the autopsy report is yet to be produced as they are still waiting for the exhumation to be conducted.

The accused also was re-arraigned and he entered a not guilty plea.

This is in relation to the murder incident that prosecution alleged Jimmy Baukuhu of killing another person.

The allegation said Mr Baukuhu and his associates killed a man from Bauro on May 24, 2016.

The Prosecution said that the deceased was found lying dead at a seaside near Kirakira with a rope tied to his neck.

BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE

A concerned citizen is calling on the Members of Parliament for West, Central and East Honiara constituencies to upgrade roads located in the inner section of Honiara.

Mr James Menai of Nangu Village, Santa Cruz voiced this to the paper yesterday.

He stressed that people living in and around areas accompanied by these poor conditioned roads often find it difficult when travelling.

Menai added that it is even more difficult for those who need to use public transportation to get to their destination because some cabs will not be able to travel on those roads.

On top of that, he said that it will also be critical in the case of emergencies especially when it involves transporting someone who needs to get to the hospital as fast as possible but can only get there at the pace the condition of the road allows.

Menai furthered that there are also many public servants who live along such roads.

He reiterates his call for the MPs to work together and have these roads upgraded.

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

THE $500,000 which has been allocated for the Ministry of Women Youth Children and Family Affairs will be focusing on youths and possibly children and having women missing out is a wakeup call, it is reported.

This was highlighted yesterday in an information sharing forum which was organised by the Solomon Islands National Council of Women (SINCW) executive, the Ministry of Women Youth Children and Family Affairs (MWYCFA) as well as a representative from the Prime Minister Office.

It was organised purposely for responsible authorities to come forward and clarify and help women to understand why ‘zero budget’ was a final provision allocated to women of Solomon Islands.

According to the General Secretary (SINCW) Casper Fa’asala, the budget allocation is a wakeup call for the MWYCF, its agencies, women organisations and women individuals in the country.

“Which means it’s a call for the MWYCF, its agencies especially the SINCW to strengthen its work as well as individual women and women organizations in this country needs to be committed seriously on whatever works with regards to women that needed to be done.

“Also there must be collaboration, communications, and a conducive environment in terms of the process for better consultation and improve dialogues on matters where women can understand to help them venture into upper leadership levels,” he said.

Fa’asala adds that these are some of the essential missing links which needs attention for the mentioned parties to relook at and consider them seriously in order to measure all work performances for better service delivery for the benefit of all the women in this country.

Meanwhile the Permanent Secretary of the MWYCFA Dr Cedrick Alependava says the money allocated to them is very small thus only youths and children will be able to benefit in the development sector.

However, he says women can still be able to access funds in the recurrent budget in the form of grant.

BY ELLISON.VAHI

THE local organising committee responsible for Isabel province’s upcoming event is in preparation to stage the Kodili Festival that is set to kick off in June at Isabel’s provincial capital, Buala.

Local organising committee member, Mr Eddie Kopala confirmed that while preparations are still in progress with the committee now in the consultation process with participants and ward, the event will take place from June 25 to 29.

The consultations are purposely to brief participants oN the activities that will be held during the festival, as well to confirm the activities they will be participating in.

Stalls and public houses for the festival village are currently in progress and are expected to be ready before the end of May.

Beautification for the events Village has also been contracted out for any interested local beautification specialised groups.

Charges for the stalls will be categorised into three different rates; $1000 for food stalls, $700 for Art & Craft and $1,500 for major companies.

Musical instruments for the event will be sponsored by Hon Steven Abana and will be the biggest system Isabel province will use for the programme.

In the meantime, the participants wards in and around the province, while preparing their items to put on show during the event whilst, other ward participants are making calls, urging their honourable to assist and facilitate them for the upcoming event.