* Man accused of getting $70k to testify
* Murder accused to plea
Man accused of getting $70k to testify
THE man accused of obtaining about $70,000 from three people and failed to return their money will be testifying in court today.
This followed the close of the prosecution case yesterday on the case of Hubert Walter Mabo who faces seven counts of false pretences.
Hubert will be giving his evidence in court when the defence case starts today before Principal Magistrate Felix Hollison.
The final prosecution witness, Dominic Sevio testified in court yesterday that Mabo obtained more than $66,000 from him in 2018 and failed to refund the money until today.
The court heard Sevio was not an educated man and does not know how to read and write.
He runs a transport business back in his West Guadalcanal home.
It was on 15 August 2018 when he received a call from Chris, the husband of his niece who claimed to have called on behalf of Mabo.
He said Chris told him he was calling on behalf of Mabo and that they wanted borrow $20,000 from him to pay for some fee.
Sevio said he does not know what sort of fee they were referring too but had agreed to give them the money they asked for because they promised to refund it in three days time.
Three days later, he called Mabo to ask him if he did received the money Chris took from him, and Mabo told him, yes.
Sevio said he asked Mabo when they will refund him and Mabo told him to wait and that he will be a happy man when they refund his money.
The following day Sevio said Mabo called him asking him for another $15,000.
Sevio said Mabo promised him that he will double the money when he repays it which will total to $30,000.
“He did not tell me when he will refund the money but that he will refund it when the money is ready,” Sevio told the court.
Sevio added that Mabo told him to record all the money that he gave to him.
The court also heard that on other dates in August and September Mabo continued to ask money from Sevio which Sevio did gave to him.
According to Sevio’s testimony in court, the money were for bank fees so that the money can be transferred overseas to Mabo’s account, fees for release orders for the money to be released and other expenses.
This also includes money for betel nut, smoke and vehicle hire.
Sevio told the court that on one occasion Mabo asked him $6,000 to pay his lawyer to sign a document.
He said Mabo told him that he made a claim of $106,000 to the government to be paid to him because he was held in custody for 21 days.
“He told me that he will refund my money and also give me another $50,000 when he received the $106,000 from the government.”
Sevio said Mabo at one time also took him to the ANZ bank at Ranadi.
He said Mabo went and spoke with the staff there and told him that the staff had seen the document proving that there was money but they would to pay the release order before the money can be transferred.
He was told by Mabo that the release order costs US $3,000 which is equivalent to about SBD $30,000 or SBD $40,000.
“He asked me if I know any person we can get the money from but I told him I don’t know and I don’t have such money as well.”
Sevio said the last time he gave Mabo money was on an unknown date in September where he gave $1,500 for bank transfer fee.
“After that he continued to call and ask for money but I told him I have no money.
“Mabo then stopped to contact me when I told him I don’t have any money.
“When I called him, he would not answer my calls or when he answered he would say he was busy and will return my call but he never did return my calls,” Mr Sevio testified.
Sevio said he was intending to buy a bus with the money Mabo took from him that was never refunded.
Two other witnesses also earlier told the court Mabo took a total of $5,000 from them.
Public Solicitor’s lawyer Rodney Manebosa represents Mabo while Public Prosecutor John Wesley Zoze is prosecuting.
Murder accused to plea
THE matter of a man facing a murder charge in relation to an incident at Lungga, East Honiara in July will return to court today.
This is for Peter Kukiti to plea to the murder charge as listed this morning before the Honiara Magistrates’ Court.
Kukiti is being charged in relation to the allegation on 7 July, 2019 at Lungga.
Police alleged that the deceased was allegedly involved in a stealing incident in the area and that a fight then broke out between Kukiti and the deceased on the night of July 6.
It was further alleged that the deceased sustained injuries and loss of blood.
Unfortunately, he died after he was transported to the National Referral Hospital.
