* Tasiu abductor to be sentenced today
* Avuavu murder case starts today
* $500 fine for permitting unlicensed vehicle
Tasiu abductor to be sentenced today
A MAN accused of abducting five members of the Anglican Melanesian Brotherhood or (Tasiu) in 2003 in the Weathercoast, South Guadalcanal, will be sentenced today.William Hence will be sentenced before Justice Maelyn Bird at the High Court.
This was after he pleaded guilty to five counts of abduction and one count of assault causing actual bodily harm.
These relate to an incident at the Weathercoast in 2003.
The five victims who were members of the Melanesian Brotherhood of the Anglican Church were on a practical mission to the Weathercoast at that time.
They were there purposely to teach other communities on Salvation or living a Christian life.
Earlier on, two other members of the Melanesian Brotherhood who went on a practical mission were captured by former Guadalcanal Warlord Harold Keke’s men in Hoba.
The five victims had decided to go to Hoba in an attempt to ask Keke’s men to release the two brothers or Tasiu.
They sent a note to Keke’s men who replied to the message telling them to wait for them to come and discuss the situation.
The men including Hence arrived then told the five victims to walk with them to Koloqauqau.
They tied the victims’ hands and on the way, they were stopped and asked why they were there.
Having reached Koloqauqua, the victims were taken to a copra shed outside the village where they were being further questioned about their actual intention to go to Keke’s territory.
One of the victims was asked if he was a spy for the government and received a kick to his face and back when his answers did not satisfy the accused.
Following the interrogations, the victims were taken to Mbiti Village where they were further questioned.
The victims were kept there for some weeks and following negotiations between Keke and a businessman Yukio Sato, they were released.
Two other members of the Melanesian Brotherhood who were earlier reported to have been held captive were also released.
A reconciliation ceremony was conducted between Keke on behalf of his men and the victims in exchange for shell money, pigs, potatoes, and an apology from Keke for the treatment of the victims.
Sato left first with four of the brothers to Honiara and later returned for the other three.
Avuavu murder case starts today
THE trial in relation to the gruesome murder of a young schoolgirl at Avuavu in South Guadalcanal will start today at the High Court.
Christopher Lalo is standing trial before Justice Maelyn Bird this morning.
He is facing one count of murder.
Lalo and two other suspects were accused of attacking the schoolgirl with a bush knife at Laovi point at Churuna, Bubughua village on 14 November 2017.
The deceased was between 13 and 14 years of age at that time.
The attack was said to be in retaliation for an alleged rape incident.
The accused’s daughter was allegedly raped by the deceased’s uncle and other relatives.
The deceased who was a student from Bubutasi Primary School was on her way back to her village at Bubughua after school when the incident occurred.
It was alleged that Lalo and the two men attacked her with the bush knife and then tied a bush rope around her neck.
They then allegedly threw her body facing down under some trees about 15 meters away from the road.
The deceased’s body was found three days later by her relatives.
$500 fine for permitting unlicensed vehicle
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
A MAN has been fined $500 yesterday in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court for permitting another person to drive an unlicensed bus in March this year.
George Mark Kiriau was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of permitting unlicensed motor vehicle.
Magistrate Ishmael Kekou yesterday imposed a starting point of $1,000 but then had it reduced to $500 to reflect the mitigating factors.
He gave Kiriau until June 16 to pay up the fine.
Failure to pay up the fine by then will result in a 20 days jail term.
Police were mounting an operation to check vehicles in Honiara in March when they came across a man driving an unlicensed bus.
The officers then halted the driver and subsequent inquiries found that it was Kiriau who permitted the person to drive the unlicensed bus.
Tom Roxon Fiumae is yet to be dealt with as he is currently under a warrant of arrest.
He is facing a charge of driving an unlicensed motor vehicle and is currently under a warrant of arrest.
