Second accused in nightclub robbery to face court
A SECOND man charged for robbing a substantial amount of money from a man at Silver Lake nightclub at Alligator Creek, Guadalcanal in 2021 will appear in court today.
Primo Esibaea had already pleaded not guilty to one count of robbery and his matter is awaiting trial in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court.
His co-accused, Patrick Puakalo, who was the first person to be arrested for this robbery, was already sentenced last year to two years in prison.
This was after Puakalo pleaded guilty to the robbery charge.
The robbery occurred in the early hours of 10 April 2021 at the Silver Lake nightclub.
The complainant and his friends were at the nightclub on the evening of 9 April 2021 to have some beers.
He was checked by the security officers and the security officers took his bag containing $44,000 for safe keeping at the bar with a female staff.
It was on his way out after attending the nightclub when Puakalo attacked him.
Prosecution also alleged Esibaea also attacked the complainant.
They then took the complainant’s bag containing the money and escaped with it.
Puakalo and Esibaea were working as security officers for the Silver Lake nightclub on a casual basis at the time of the offence.
Prosecution to update court on alleged bank robber’s WOA
THE Prosecution will this week update the court if the police have executed an arrest warrant issued for a man accused of the armed robbery of $4million from the former Westpac Bank at Point Cruz, in 2015.
Patterson Amos Otokwai is facing one count of armed robbery.
An arrest warrant has been issued for him after he failed to turn up in court at a previous court date.
Last year, the court was informed police had not yet executed the arrest warrant on the accused as he was reportedly in his home village in Malaita.
Otokwai’s matter will again come before the High Court on Thursday, for the prosecution to update the court on the status of the arrest warrant.
He is the remaining accused who is yet to be dealt with for the armed robbery incident at the former Westpac Bank.
Otokwai’s co-accused, Stanely Waneakwasia, Jonathan Wanefiolo, Duddley Baemaelia and Gabi Selo, have already been sentenced over the past years.
Selo was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2017 for his involvement in this robbery and for cutting off the hand of a security officer.
This was after he pleaded guilty to the charges of armed robbery and grievous harm.
He appealed his sentence but the Court of Appeal quashed the eight-year jail term and instead imposed 14 years imprisonment.
Meanwhile, Waneakwasia, Wanefiolo and Baemaelia were sentenced to 11 years imprisonment each for armed robbery in 2020 after they pleaded guilty to armed robbery.
Waneakwasia and Wanefiolo also appealed their sentence and in 2021, the Court of Appeal allowed their appeal and reduced their sentences to 9 years imprisonment.
