* PTC on alleged ATM robbery case, Wednesday
* Sentencing, mitigation for Ala
* Tikopia murder case moves to Nov 20
PTC on alleged ATM robbery case Wednesday
A PRE-TRIAL conference will be conducted today on the matter of a man accused of robbing the ANZ Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) at the Kwaimani Building in East Honiara in 2014.
Faiga has on a past court appearance denied the charges of armed robbery and malicious damage.
He was jointly charged with Severio Sulimae and Joe Silas.
Sulimae was already sentenced to four years, six months in prison early last year after pleading guilty to armed robbery and malicious damage.
Silas who became a prosecution died in 2016.
The incident occurred on the night of July 25th 2014 where Faiga was accused of being part of a group of men who robbed the ANZ ATM.
Prosecution alleged the accused and other men arrived in a car driven by Sulimae that had a fake plate number and used a crow bar to uproot the ANZ machine.
After allegedly uprooting the ATM Machine, they lifted it onto the waiting car and took off with one of the security officers and went to Henderson, where they broke open the machine that contained more than $400,000.
Police further alleged that only more than $200,000 from the top tray was stolen as they could not open the bottom tray.
Faiga is currently remanded in custody after police recaptured him on 20 May this year in North Malaita.
He was on the run since 2017.
A magistrate has issued a warrant of arrest for him on 23 January 2017, after he failed to appear in the Honiara Magistrates’ Court for the mention of his case.
Lazarus Waroka of Public Solicitor’s Office represents Faiga while Public Prosecutor Bradley Dalipanda is appearing for the Crown.
Sentencing, mitigation for Ala
Sentencing submissions and mitigation on the matter of a taxi driver who was found guilty after a trial of threatening violence and assault offence will be made in court today.
Alfred Ala has been convicted of one count of threatening violence and assault causing actual bodily harm charge after a trial for one count of abduction.
On 9 February this year, Ala picked up the complainant at the shops opposite the Florence Young School and drove her up to Mount Austin.
Along the way, Ala uttered words that frightened the complainant because of what he said were due to some phone calls made to the complainant’s phone which he answered but the caller hanged up.
He also said complainant swore at him and his tribe.
At Mount Austin, the complainant escaped from Ala because of threats he made to her and injured herself when she fell onto some rocks.
The complainant escaped to some nearby houses and accused followed her there.
The accused later left the complainant at the houses at Mount Austin and went and picked up the complainant’s sister at her work place at Kukum, Honiara.
He then brought the complainant’s sister to Mount Austin to see the complainant.
From there, the complainant and her sister followed the accused back into town where they dropped off from the Ala’s taxi.
The matter was then reported to the police and police later charged Ala for one count of abduction.
The complainant had told the court that Ala forced her into his car without her consent and drove her up to an isolated spot with intent to injure her.
She told the court she did not know the accused.
Ala in his unsworn dock statement denied the abduction charge and said he knew the complainant.
He said he had been dating the complainant in the past and on that material time the complainant had asked him to pick her at the commercial area at Mbua Valley conjunction road.
Mr Seuika in his judgment on a previous court appearance however found no evidence of abduction but had instead found evidence of threatening violence and assault causing actual bodily harm charge.
Public Solicitor’s lawyer Lazarus Waroka is representing Ala while Police Prosecutor Lyndon Adifaka appears for the Crown.
Tikopia murder case moves to Nov 20
THE man accused of the rape and murder of a 10 year-old girl at a Village on Tikopia Island, Temotu province is yet to have a lawyer.
Harrison Forau, who faces one count of murder, appeared in the Honiara Magistrates’ Court yesterday appeared without a lawyer yesterday.
He had already made a request for a lawyer to the Public Solicitor’s Office.
Police investigation into this matter is also continuing.
Magistrate Emily Zazariko Vagibule who mentioned the matter yesterday further adjourned the matter to November 20.
Forau is accused of raping the alleged victim on evening of 4 October 2018 at Namo Village, which resulted in the death of the alleged victim.
The alleged incident was said to have occurred during a community function in a nearby bush near the seaside.
The body of the alleged victim was found floating in the nearby Lake Teroto.
Public Prosecutor John Wesley Zoze appears for the Crown.
