One Link missing money case nears trial date
THE Police Officer who was accused of stealing $300,000 kept as exhibit at the Police exhibit storage facility at Rove in Honiara in 2020 will return to court on September 11.
That is the final interim mention date, leading up to a two-week trial commencing on 25 September.
Makasi Dolaiano is facing trial for one count of Stealing as a Clerk.
His matter was brought to the Honiara Magistrate Court yesterday for an interim mention date and was further adjourned to the final interim mention date of September 11.
The hearing of evidences will be conducted before Principal Magistrate, Tearo Beneteti.
The prosecution alleged the defendant stole $336,891.20 that was kept as exhibit for a trial in the Honiara Magistrate Court in October 2020.
The defendant was said to be one of the officers manning the exhibit storage facility at the time when the $300k went missing in October 2020.
The $300k belong to One Link Pacifica customers.
Police recovered the monies after they arrested the manager of the money investment scheme in April 2020.
The 300k was initially kept at the exhibit storage facility at the Central Police Station and then transferred to the exhibit storage facility at the Rove Police Headquarters where it went missing.
Dolaiano denied the allegation and hence the trial to determine the truth.
George Gray of Public Solicitor’s Office represents Dolaiano, whilst Public Prosecutor, Samuel Tovosia, is prosecuting.
Alleged robber awaits trial next month
A MAN who allegedly robbed a substantial amount of money from another man at the now defunct Silver Lake Nightclub at Alligator Creek, Central Guadalcanal, in 2021 is facing trial next month.
The one-week trial of the defendant, Primo Esibaea, for robbery will commence on 18 September.
Following the mention of his matter yesterday, Principal Magistrate, Tearo Beneteti, adjourned his matter to September 11 – which is the final interim mention before his trial commences.
Esibaea’s 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 incident occurred in the early hours of 10 April 2021 at the Silver Lake Nightclub.
The complainant and his friends went to the nightclub on the evening of 9 April 2021 for some beers.
The complainant was checked by the Security Officers and they took his bag containing $44,000 for safe-keeping at the bar with a female staff.
It was on his way out of the Nightclub that Puakalo attacked him.
The prosecution further alleged that Esibaea also attacked the complainant and thereafter they took the complainant’s bag containing the money and escaped.
Puakalo and Esibaea were working as a Security Officers for the Silver Lake Nightclub on casual basis at the time of the offence.
