The Honiara Magistrate has on Monday given an order for an accused to report a bribery case involving a traffic police officer to the police.
This was after the accused Ishmael Robert told the court on Monday that a police officer has asked him to give her $500 promising him that if he did so, his case will be cleared.
Ishmael Robert told the court that he gave the female officer $500 and therefore thought his case was cleared until he was arrested this week.
Robert was charged with one count of permitting unlicensed motor vehicle and another of permitting an uninsured motor vehicle, which he entered guilty pleas.
The offences occurred on January 15, 2014, and Robert was charged and bailed to appear in court on February 11, 2014.
A warrant of arrest was issued for him after he failed to turn up in court on that day and the warrant was executed this week.
Robert was then asked by the court as to why he failed to appear in court on that day and his excuse was that of the bribery claim.
He said he thought his case was cleared because he paid that money to the officer.
He added that he was surprised when police arrested him on Monday.
Magistrate Shepard Lapo then told him that it is not the police who have the power to clear of the charges but the court.
After recording his guilty pleas, he imposed a total fine of $800 and ordered that he reported the bribery matter to the police.
Robert represented himself in court.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
