BY MELVILLE TITIULU

Principal Magistrate, Mrs Emily Zazariko Vagibule Pakoa, on Monday, March 30, imposed a $500 penalty fine on a salt fish market vendor, for breaching the existing market rules and directives issued by the central market master.

Mrs Christina Kori of Suava Island, North Malaita was charged for failure to comply with a direction from the market manager contrary to S9(1)(a) and S10(a) as read with S11 of the HCC (Markets) ordinance 2011.

The maximum penalty fine is $10,000- as prescribed under the ordinance.

The defendant pleaded guilty to that charge and was later fined with $500- payable by Monday, March 30.

The penalty fine was imposed after the court took into consideration the defendant’s extenuating circumstances at the sentence hearing held at the Magistrate courtroom 2, on Monday, March 30.

Failure to pay by the date set by the court means she will risk being served 20 days at the Rove Correctional Centre.

The court heard that the defendant, on Monday, March 27, 2026, at about 5pm, failed to comply with a directive from the market manager by unloading a red tray containing salt fish at the central market boat ramp area, a prohibited area for salt fish vendors.

Mr Robert Madeo is the Director of the HCC Law Enforcement Division. He told Island Sun that his HCC law enforcement officers will continue to enforce this regulation and monitor activities from salt fish market vendors who continue to breach the existing market rules and directives issued by market authorities.

Mr Bodley Sekekana is the acting market master at the central market. He said most of the illegal salt fish sellers normally take their catch from the foreign fishing vessels anchoring outside the central market.

He said the boat ramp area is a prohibited area after a public notice was issued to all salt fish vendors – including fresh bonito and yellow fin vendors, to not sell their catch at the central market.  

The HCC has designated an area for them to sell their fish which is the White River fish market.

Only reef fish is allowed to be sold at the central market.

Luisa Pitisopa, food safety officer from the HCC Environmental Health Division, reminded salt fish vendors at the White River market that their team will continue to monitor the surrounding environment to ensure that best health practices are observed, such as proper ice storage in the sale of salt fish.

A salt fish market vendor who requested anonymity and sells her fish at the White River fish market told Island Sun that the current arrangements in place really hit her hard financially.

She said most of her fish supply comes from the foreign fishing vessels harboring at the central market.

And given the distance from central market to White River fish market, this means she has to spend more money to transport her fish supply from one point to another, affecting her financial savings.

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BY MELVILLE TITIULU

Closing submissions hearing in the case involving a man accused of sedition and unlawful assembly charges linked to the November 2021 Honiara riot has been further adjourned to Wednesday, April 8.

The matter came for hearing yesterday, before Principal Magistrate, Ms Benedeti Tearo.

In court, defence counsel Mr Niuga, who appeared on instructions from Mrs Lily Ramo, told the court that the defence counsel in carriage of the case file was sick, hence, she had advised him to request the court for a seven days adjournment.

Special Prosecuting Counsel, Ms Mary -Ann Zurenuoc, told the court that she had no issues with the proposed adjournment.

However, she too was sick and was feeling unwell.

Principal Magistrate Ms Tearo, told both parties that since both counsels in carriage of the matter are sick, she was of the view that the matter be further adjourned to Wednesday, April 8, at 11am, for closing submission hearing.

In the meantime, the court directed that the Prosecuting Counsel work on responses to Defence closing submissions as filed on Tuesday, March 31.

Bail was extended for the defendant to Wednesday, April 8.

Defence counsel, Mrs Ramo, who is the counsel in carriage of the case file, was also directed to appear at the next mention on Wednesday, April 8.

The defendant, Mr Moffat Joel Konofilia, 49, faces two counts of charges.

Count 1, sedition contrary to section 3(1)(i) of the Sedition Act, and Count 2, taking part in unlawful assembly contrary to section 74 of the Penal Code.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the two charges of sedition and taking part in unlawful assembly when he was rearraigned on Thursday, March 12, 2026.

The trial issues before the court are whether or not the defendant was part of the group of men called the Malaita for Democracy (M4D) who travelled from Malaita on a ship and converged at Point Cruz, calling on the resignation of the then Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, on November, 24, 2021.

And if so, whether or not that amounts to unlawful assembly.

Special Prosecuting Counsel, Ms Mary -Ann Zurenuoc from the Director of Public Prosecutions, appeared for the Crown, while Mrs Lilly Ramo from Just Lawyers represented Konofilia.

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BY MELVILLE TITIULU

The Magistrate Court on Monday, March 30, discharged a traffic offender without punishment.

The matter was presided over by Principal Magistrate Paile Joyceth at sentencing.

The defendant pleaded guilty to three counts of charges.

Count 1- Using or permitting an uninsured motor vehicle

Count 2- Driving without a valid driver’s license

Count 3- Using or permitting an unlicensed motor vehicle

The court heard that the defendant, Jay Kobusu, on the 26^th February 2026, between 9 am and 11 am, was driving a black Toyota Corolla bearing registration number T31234.

It further heard that the defendant had just bought the vehicle the same day; however, it was still registered to the original owner and had expired.

On the day in question, he intended to drive the vehicle to MID for inspection with a view to renewing the license for ownership transfer.

However, when stuck in traffic, the kukum traffic officers arrested him. That was when the officers found out that the vehicle third-party insurance and his driving license had expired.

The Principal Magistrate, Mrs Paile, told the defendant in court that the prevalence of the offence in itself was an aggravating factor. Mrs Paile said, drivers seem to make a mockery of our traffic laws. She further told the parties that traffic rules are in place to ensure the safety of passengers, and that vehicles are checked for defects.

The Principal Magistrate took into consideration the extenuating circumstances in which the offence was committed and was of the view that she is not inclined to record a conviction against the defendant due to his early guilty plea, that the defendant is a first-time offender and has cooperated with the police. It also took into consideration the personal circumstances of the defendant and his age of 33 years old. Thus, conviction not entered.

The Principal Magistrate made it clear that the right of appeal applies.

Instead, the defendant was given a good behavior bond. He was directed to the magistrate’s registry office to sign a 12-month good behavior bond in the presence of the court clerk.

If the defendant breached the bond or condition, he will be required to pay $800.

Police Constable Anthony Pirinimatawa represented the Police Prosecutions Department (PPD) and Defence Counsel Weigant Jagilly from the Public Solicitors Office (PSO) represented the defendant.

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