BY MELVILLE TITIULU
The Magistrate court today started the trial of a man accused for sedition and unlawful assembly charges in connection to the November 2021 Honiara riot.
The defendant, Moffat Joel Konofilia, 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 trial was supposed to start yesterday but was adjourned for today.
When the matter came for trial yesterday, Principal Magistrate Beneteti Tearo asked both Prosecution and Defence counsels if they were ready for trial.
Defence informed the court they were ‘partially ready’, seeking an early leave to attend a court of appeal matter.
Principal Magistrate Ms Beneteti said “we wouldn’t know how fast the prosecutions would go” in terms of how much time it would require to make an opening statement and call prosecution witnesses.
Beneteti in court said, “I don’t want to start, stop, start, stop, as it’s a bit messy.”
Prosecution in turn proposed to court that they start the trial properly on Thursday, March 12 (today).
Beneteti informed the court that since the Court of Appeal is the highest court, they would need to comply with the Highest Court directions and orders hence the trial took place today.
An interpreter, Mr Timi Magi was asked by court if he could made himself available for trial as the court would need him to translate on oath during trial from Pidgin to Tok pidgin, as the Special Prosecuting Counsel Ms Zurenuoc, is a PNG national.
Bail was also extended for the defendant, Mr Konofilia.
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 the defendant, Konofilia.
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