The men accused of robbing two Asians outside the Bank of South Pacific (BSP) at Point Cruz earlier this year will re-appear in court on September 13.
Tuesday’s adjournment was the second, purposely for the finalising of pre-trial conference documents.
The pre-trial conference hearing was not conducted due to some issues that arise within the last hearing date.
One of the issues was that one of the accused who was without a lawyer now has one.
Private Lawyer Wayne Ghemu is now representing David Faiga.
Faiga was without a lawyer after his lawyer from the Public Solicitor’s Office withdrew his legal representation.
Wayne sought an adjournment to go through the disclosures and pre-trial conference documents.
He also put the prosecution and court on notice that he will be making a bail application for his new client anytime soon.
Public Solicitor’s Lawyer Lazarus Waroka also sought an adjournment to make a proposal to the prosecution regarding new sets of agreed facts in light of his client Stanley Ramo.
Public Prosecutor Ishmael Kekou told the court that a pre-trial conference is not possible to be conducted as the new lawyer needs to go through the documents first.
He asked if the matter could be adjourned for 14 days so that he would follow up with the other defence counsels on the pre-trial conference documents.
The court was also told one of the accused Eric Junior Nathaniel is yet to be allocated a Public Solicitor’s Lawyer.
Principal Magistrate Jim Seuika having heard and considered what the counsels informed the court granted an adjournment.
Ramo, Nathaniel, Richard Rurai, Ben Farobo and Faiga are jointly charged with one count of armed robbery and unlawful wounding.
These were in relation to the allegation on the morning of 18 January outside of the former Westpac bank, now the BSP.
They allegedly robbed a carton containing $1 million from two Asians who were on their way into the bank to make deposits.
Prosecution alleged that while one of the accused waited in a car parked outside the bank, others went and attacked the complainant and grabbed the carton containing the money.
They allegedly escaped in the car but were shortly arrested, charged and remanded in custody.
Police alleged that the men were all masked and one of them was armed with a knife.
Anderson Kesaka of DNS & Partners represents Rurai while Public Solicitors Lawyers Ben Alasia, Waroka and Namo are representing the other accused.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
