The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) is appealing the High Court decision that acquitted Edmond Sae of former police commissioner Sir Fredrick Soaki’s murder.
DPP Ronald BeiTalasasa told the Solomon Star he lodged the appeal with the High Court, Friday.
“We are appealing the entire decision, including the manslaughter conviction pronounced at the No case to Answer Stage, as well as other matters on the sentence,” Talasasa explained.
Sae, from Malaita, who wason the run from police for 12 years, was acquitted of Soaki’s killing last month due to inconsistencies of the evidences from Crown witnesses.
Witnesses were also not able to indentify Sae as the masked gun man who shot Soaki on the early evening of 10 February 2003 at Auki Motel in Malaita.
Justice John Brown however, found Sae guilty of the manslaughter of a prisoner at the Auki Police Station on 30 April 2003.
Sae escaped from police custody on 22 April 2003 after he was arrested for the murder of Soaki.
A week later, he went to the Auki Police Station where he fired gun shots which resulted in the death of a prisoner who was hit by a bullet.
At Auki police station, he fired shots which resulted in the death of a prisoner.
Sae was recaptured in 2015 in Malaita.
The verdict on November 8 came after a lengthy trial that commenced in February this year.
The trial has been conducted in a closed court from the media and the public due to fears expressed by prosecution witnesses.
Sae’s acquittal shocked and disappointed the family of Soaki
“We have waited for 14 long years for justice on the assassination of our father.
“We were shocked, and utterly dissatisfied with the outcome of the High Court verdict,” the family said in the statement.
The wife of the late Sir Frederick, Ethel MaesiufiaSoaki broke down with tears when the verdict was delivered at the High Court.
Soaki was a member of the National Peace Monitoring at the time of his killing.
He was in Auki on a UNDP Demobilisation Programme for Special Constables when he was shot at point blank.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
