Solomon Star News

The defence will continue with its case once a new date is being fixed on the case of two businessmen who allegedly possessed beche-de-mer for export.

Frank Sheng Song and Sam Xian Wei were on trial for the charge of being in possession of beche-de-mer for export.

Police arrested the duo after discovering substantial amount of beche-de-mer in their Honiara residences.

Prosecution has already completed its case in March and the defence had started its case two weeks ago.

The accused Song has called one witness during the defence case and will be calling three others once the case resumes.

Wei will be defending himself in court.

Principal Magistrate Jim Seuika will fix the date for the continuation of the trial on June 18.

Both accused are on bail.

They are represented by private lawyers Makario Tagini and Chris Hapa while Fatima Taeburi of the Director of Public Prosecutions Office is representing the Crown.

Pacha’s case to continue with trial

This will be to decide on a date for his trial.

He is facing one count of conversion and one count of abuse of office.

These were in relation to the alleged misappropriation of more than $148,000 of public funds meant for a micro-project in his constituency in 2006.

A trial that has commenced in March was halted following an application made to have the case withdrawn.

 Prosecution has already called a key witness when it decided to withdraw the matter to allow further investigations into the matter.

This means that the accused will be re-charged later when there is enough evidence against him.

 But the accused however wanted an acquittal in this case.

 Principal Magistrate Shafi Khan has also described prosecution’s decision to withdraw the case amidst a trial as an unusual one and requested submissions to be made.

However, in the end the trial will continue on the case.

Principal Magistrate Shafi Khan will fix the trial date today.

Private lawyer Gabriel Suri is representing the MP and Augustine Aulanga of the Director of Public Prosecutions’ Office represents the Crown.

Former officer guilty of indecent assault

 Clement Haununu committed the indecent assault offence on a 14-year-old girl on October 31, 2009 at a village in Western Province.

 Haununu is currently serving a jail term for separate offences.

 He was supposed to appear in court last week but had not turned up.

 Prison officers who attended court informed the court that the accused said he was not obliged to attend court because he did not sign the charge sheet.

 Principal Magistrate Stefan Metanomski then adjourned the mater to yesterday for the accused to turn up in court.

 But the prison officer yesterday morning told the court the same message relied by the accused.

 The court then ordered his appearance in court yesterday afternoon which saw the accused pleading guilty to the charge.

 The matter is due back in court this Thursday for the sentencing submission.

New hearing date for stealing at CBSI

A new hearing date has been set down yesterday on the case of the man accused of stealing substantial amount of money from the Central Bank of Solomon Islands, (CBSI).

Simon Ra’aia will now stand trial next week on Thursday, June 14.

He was allegedly part of a three men group who stole $1.1 million of soiled (old, defaced, torn) currency notes from the bank.

The theft occurred on November 13, last year.

One of Ra’aia’s co-accused a CBSI security officer Richard Rurai is now serving his jail term for the stealing.

The court heard yesterday that Ra’aia will be calling Rurai as his witness during the hearing.

The hearing was supposed to commence yesterday in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court.

But the hearing was however moved to next week because there was no magistrate to sit for the hearing yesterday.

The trial will be heard before Principal Magistrate Stefan Metanomski.

Magistrate Metanomski having set down the new hearing date further remanded Ra’aia in custody.

Ronald Dive of Public Solicitor’s Office is representing Ra’aia while Augustine Aulanga of the Director of Public Prosecutions’ Office is representing the Crown.

Case against former MP did not proceed


Hearing on the case of the former Member of Parliament for West New Georgia, Peter Boyers and his alleged co-accused Frank Hou did not
proceed yesterday.
 


The matter however was further adjourned for another pre-trial-conference on June 29.
 
Prosecution was ready to proceed with its case yesterday in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court.
 


This was for the charges of criminal trespass against Hou and Boyers and an intimidation charge against Hou.
 
The charges were in relation to the allegation on January 15, where both accused allegedly trespassed into Peterson Boso’s residence in
Honiara.



Hou also allegedly killed Boso’s dog that same day and threatened to do the same to Boso.
 


He (Hou) had also pleaded guilty to the charge of injury an animal.
 
But the court heard yesterday that according to the court file, the
intimidation charge against Hou has already been withdrawn.
 


On a previous hearing on May 4th , Principal Magistrate Stefan Metanomski has withdrawn the intimidation charge against Hou.
 
However, there was no specific note as to which section of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), was that intimidation charge withdrawn under.
 


According to the notes on the court file, the only recorded notes were that the withdrawal was granted but there were further details as to which section of the CPC it was withdrawn under.



If the withdrawal was made under section 190 (2) (ii) of the CPC, Hou was only discharged of the charge but can be re-charged later.
 


And if the charge was withdrawn under section 190 (2) (i) of the CPC, Hou was acquitted of the charge.
 
Prosecution yesterday however, said if the intimidation charge was certainly withdrawn, then the application to have that charge withdrawn was an error.
 


Since there was no sound recording on the withdrawal on May 4, Magistrate Fleming therefore, ordered that both prosecution and the
defence to jointly write to Principal Magistrate Stefan Metanomski to clarify the orders he made on that day.
 
Bails for both accused were extended.
 
Maelyn Bird of Crystal Lawyers is representing the two accused.