Lawyers representing the men accused of the murder of a man in Auki, Malaita Province last year are yet to confirm whether or not they will be calling witnesses.
This was because three of the lawyers representing three accused persons were not present in court on Wednesday.
Accused Luciano Laukasi’s lawyer Hubert Fugui was the only lawyer who turned up in court.
He told the court he has no instructions from other lawyers.
Prosecution has already closed its case after calling three witnesses to give evidence in the long form preliminary inquiry conducted before Deputy Chief Magistrate Shepherd Lapo.
Mr Lapo said he wants to deal with the matter as soon as possible.
He adjourned the matter to Monday next week and ordered prosecution to circulate on information to the other lawyers so that they could turn up in court.
The legal issue of prosecution wanting to include the statement of one of its potential witnesses, a security officer was already been dealt with.
The court has allowed that to be part of prosecution’s evidence to form part of the committal hearing.
The security officer’s statement was not sent earlier with the case file.
Prosecution having found his statement missing made inquiries to the Auki police who later found the statement in another file at Auki police office.
The statement was then sent over to prosecution but the defence counsels however refused it to be used to form part of the committal hearing as it was sent after the committal hearing was conducted.
The four accused, Benard Lagate’e, Robert Jeeney Ete, Laukasi and Milton Maelikini are jointly charged with the murder of a man between August 17 and August 18 last year at the Sea Sound area, Gwaunaru’u.
The deceased’s body was found near the Bmobile tower at Auki.
Anderson Kesaka of DNS & Partners is representing Ete while Public Solicitor’s Lawyer Henry Kausimae and Ben Alasia represent Lagate’e and Maelikini.
Public Prosecutor Bradley Dalipanda is prosecuting.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
