Man to know fate over fraud voter’s registration, Nov 23
THE man accused of registering in several constituencies using different names in 2018 to vote at the last National General Election will know his fate on November 26.
Alif Vai’s matter was listed for yesterday for the judgment.
However, Principal Magistrate Felix Hollison who had just returned from a court circuit in the province deferred the judgment.
The 50 year-old accused had been tried in a trial for seven counts of obtaining registration licence by false pretence.
Prosecution called two witnesses at the trial while the accused remained silent for the defence case.
Vai was accused of committing the offences during the registration period in 2018 for the 2019 National General Election.
Prosecution alleged Vai registered in seven different constituencies using seven different names, dates of birth and other details on each occasions.
Ben Alasia of Public Solicitor’s Office represents Vai while Public Prosecutor Olivia Manu is appearing for the Crown.
Second bail variation app refused
A SECOND application made to vary some bail conditions of a Bangladesh national facing a sexual abuse related offence has been refused.
Principal Magistrate Tearo Beneteti refused to vary the 41 year-old bail condition for reason that no medical report was provided to the court by the accused and his lawyer.
The accused’s lawyer had made a second attempt to vary his client’s bail conditions to enable his client to travel to Bangladesh on medical grounds.
Given that Ms Beneteti refused the application, the matter was then returned to Deputy Chief Magistrate Ricky Iomea to fix dates for a long form preliminary inquiry (committal hearing) on this matter.
A first application to vary the accused’s bail condition was made last month for the accused to travel back to his home country for medical purpose and to attend his mother’s funeral.
The accused is also asking for his passport which was surrendered to the court to be returned to him to renew his visa.
Mr Iomea, however, refused the bail condition because the accused’s medications for his medical conditions are available in the country.
He also ruled that the accused can obtained a photocopy of his bio-page from the court’s registry for the purpose of renewing his visa.
The accused allegedly repeatedly sexually abused an 11 year-old alleged victim over a period of time in April this year at Lungga area.
The mother of the alleged victim reported the matter to the police after she heard stories from other girls of the alleged sexual abuses on her daughter.
The alleged victim then confirmed to the mother that the accused had been doing sexual action with her but she was afraid to tell anyone about it.
The accused had already denied the charge and a date is yet to be fixed for the long form preliminary inquiry (committal hearing).
Private lawyer Hubert Fugui represents the accused while appearing for the Crown is Myrella Cleven.
Woman fined $500 for assault
A WOMAN who assaulted her partner’s ex-wife has been fined $500 yesterday in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court.
The 31-year-old was sentenced after she pleaded guilty to one count of common assault.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Ricky Iomea yesterday imposed a fine of $500 in default of 20 days imprisonment.
This means that if the accused failed to pay up the fine by this Friday she will serve 20 days in jail.
The accused was charged in relation to an incident on 11 October this year in Honiara.
The victim and her ex-husband had two children together before their separation.
The court had heard the victim went to the home of her ex-husband and the accused earlier that day to get back her two year-old daughter.
The two year-old used to spend time with her father.
The victim took her daughter and then they returned to their home.
At around 7pm of that same day, the victim again went with her two children to her ex-husband’s house to speak with her ex-husband regarding their son’s education.
She called out to her ex-husband and invited him to talk but it was her ex-husband’s partner who came out.
The accused asked the victim what she came for and when the victim told her she did not want to speak with her but her ex-husband the accused attacked the victim.
The victim sustained minor injuries as a result of the assault.
She reported the matter to the police on the next day.
