- One Link mentor gives evidence against scheme
- One Link’s owner, Dora to plea today
One Link mentor gives evidence against scheme
A ONE Link Pacifica mentor who is yet to receive payments or refunds after he deposited more than $86,000 into the scheme between December 2019 and February 2020 has testified against the scheme’s director.
The hearing of evidence on the matter of the scheme’s director/ manager of the scheme’s manual stream Gerrad Tauohu started on Monday.
One of the scheme’s mentors, Thomas Anitau who is the first prosecution witness told the court that he became a mentor on 19 December 2019.
He testified he started collecting money from the scheme’s member on the following day.
The court had heard he collected more than $86,000 from the scheme’s members on 10 different occasions and then deposited them to the scheme’s office between 20 December and 20 February 2020.
He said the first two deposits were made to a residence at Riffle Range because at that time One Link Pacifica did not have any office.
He told the court that on those two occasions he did not receive a receipt.
“I did not ask for it because they did not have a proper office yet,” Mr Anitau told the court when asked if he received receipts on those two occasions.
Mr Anitau then said the eight other deposits were made to the scheme’s office at China Town, next to the Quan Chee Gas Station.
“The deposit was made at the Chinatown office because they now have an office there,” he said referring to the third deposit he made.
The court had heard on most occasions he received receipts.
Anitau said all the deposits were given to Isom Dora and his staff who were manning the scheme’s office.
He said since those deposits were made, he did not receive any payment until now.
He testified that in 2019, the scheme made payments to other mentors until December and then in January 2020 the payment halted.
When asked if he had made inquiry at the scheme’s office about the deposits, Anitau said they did made inquiries but were told the money were not ready.
He said he and other mentors called in office almost everyday.
“There is a list at the office.”
Anitau said if your name was on the list then you are lucky but if not then sorry, you have to come back the next day.
Tauohu is standing trial on five counts of simple larceny in relation to allegation he stole more than $460,000 from One Link members between December 2019 and February 2020.
He was charged after five of the scheme’s mentors filed their complaints to the police.
The five mentors who collected the money from the scheme’s customers for investment in the scheme filed their complaints against Tauohu after he allegedly failed to repay the customers.
One Link customers were allegedly advised through the mentors by One Link directors to invest in the scheme.
They were allegedly promised that if they invest in the scheme they will be paid triple the amount they pay in a month’s time.
Tauohu, however, allegedly failed to repay One Link’s customers their money with its interest.
He then allegedly escaped to Malaita last April but was arrested shortly thereafter.
A total of $336,891.20 was recovered from Tauohu when he was arrested.
The money that was kept at the police exhibit facility at Rove Police Headquarters had gone missing last October.
A Police officer looking after that exhibit facility is now on suspension awaiting the outcome of the Police’s Professional Standards Internal Investigation (PSII).
The trial before Deputy Chief Magistrate Ricky Iomea continues.
Private lawyer Ronald Dive is representing Tauohu while Public Prosecutor Jonathan Auga is prosecuting.
One Link’s owner, Dora to plea, Tuesday
THE alleged owner of the illegal fast money making scheme One Link Pacifica, Charles Dora has not yet taken his plea.
His plea was however moved to Tuesday.
Dora’s lawyer Martha Manaka of Public Solicitor’s Office (PSO) who is on leave was not available in court on Monday.
Her colleague Frank Brennan Kama appeared yesterday but said he did not have instructions from her regarding the pleas.
Principal Magistrate Felix Hollison therefore asked Kama to contact his colleague regarding the plea and for Dora to take his plea today, Tuesday.
It was heard that disclosures on this matter was already provided to the defence counsel.
The court had also heard that the defence had indicated a bail application but the prosecution had not yet received the bail papers.
Dora is facing two counts of operating unlicensed banking business, charges laid under the Financial Institution Act.
Prosecution alleged he registered One Link Pacifica at the Company Haus on 4 July 2019 without applying for a license under the FIA to engage in business of banking in Solomon Islands.
According to the allegation, the essence of the scheme is that investors give money towards the company on promise there will be higher return after 30 days of investment.
It was alleged that the creator of the scheme then used recruiting agents (mentors) for people to come along and invest their money through them.
The investor gave money through manual and online streams.
Dora allegedly managed the online stream while his co-accused Gerrad Tauohu manned the manual stream.
He then allegedly collected deposits from the mentors by way of online deposits.
It was alleged that the consequences of establishing and registration of the One Link Pacifica scheme, huge number of public members invested their money through Dora’s agencies totaling up to $56,440, 475 ($56 million) went missing and was not recovered until today.
Between December 2019 and March last year, investors had not received their money as promised and within that period, CBSI warned public members about the operation of the scheme.
On 4 March last year, CBSI wrote to Dora to make available to CBSI records, books or accounts relating to the business for examination within seven working days pursuant to FIA but Dora allegedly did not do so.
Police arrested Dora on June 1 this year his residence in Russell Islands, Central Province.
Tauohu is currently standing trial on five counts of simple larceny.
He allegedly stole more than $460,000 from One Link members between December 2019 and February 2020.
A total of $336,891.20 was recovered from Tauohu when he was arrested last April.
The money that was kept at the police exhibit facility at Rove Police Headquarters had gone missing last October.
A Police officer looking after that exhibit facility is now on suspension awaiting the outcome of the Police’s Professional Standards Internal Investigation (PSII).
