- Boy, 15, to face trial for manslaughter
- Former lands surveyor guilty
- Murder in Central to High Court
Boy, 15, to face trial for manslaughter
A 15 year-old male accused of the manslaughter of a man he allegedly assaulted at Bahai, Honiara in March has been committed to stand trial in the High Court, Thursday.
The young lad who cannot be named for legal reasons will be facing trial in the High Court while his two other co-accused were discharged of the manslaughter charge due to insuffient evidence.
This followed a short form preliminary inquiry (committal hearing) conducted on the matter of the three teenagers this week in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court.
They were initially charged with one count each of murder but that charge was later reduced to manslaughter based on the evidence in the file.
Principal Magistrate Augustine Aulanga in his ruling yesterday said he had found sufficient evidence against the 15 year old to face trial in the High Court on the manslaughter charge.
He then committed his matter to the High Court for the trial.
Magistrate Aulanga, however, found insuffient evidences against eighteen year-old Benjamin To’u, 18 and another 17 year-old male on the charge of manslaughter.
He therefore, had them discharged of the manslaughter charge but added that if police found enough evidence then the charge can be reinstated.
The 15 year old juvenile was accused of assaulting the deceased at Bahai area, Honiara at 12 midnight on March 26, this year.
It was alleged the deceased had some beers with his cousin brother at the Scorpion Bar at Kukum area and then left on foot at about 11pm on March 26.
Police alleged that one of the accused closely monitored the deceased near the Barrak Shop at Bahaii.
The deceased then met up with two other accused who followed the deceased as he walked along the road at Bahai.
The accused then allegedly approached the deceased and asked him for money but the deceased said he had no money.
It was further alleged that the 15 year-old accused then attacked the deceased.
As a result the deceased fell on to the ground and sustain injuries on the back of his head.
The deceased was later assisted by some people who carried him and left him in front of a red canteen at Bahai.
He was left lying there until between 9am and 11am when someone called an ambulance to assist him.
The deceased was transported to the National Referral Hospital by St John’s Ambulance where he was admitted until his death on 28 March 2021.
Former lands surveyor guilty
THE former Lands Surveyor had pleaded guilty to forging documents to transfer a land title to his name in 2018 has pleaded guilty to two forgery charges while he denies two other forgery charges.
Francis Kenedy, 30, was charged with four counts of forgery of certain documents with intent to defraud.
He pleaded guilty to two of them while he denied the other two in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
The court had heard his lawyer had made a proposal to the prosecution to withdraw two of the four charges based on the evidences in the file.
Prosecution is yet to respond to that proposal given that the prosecutor in carriage of this matter was heavily engaged in the High Court in the past week and just resumed duty yesterday after a sick leave, it was heard on Thursday.
Principal Magistrate Fatima Taeburi having raised concerns as to the delay in response to the proposal then arraigned the Kenedy.
After noting Kenedy’s pleas, she then adjourned the matter to June 10 to set a trial date for the two charges Kenedy denied.
She said she will sentence Kenedy on the two charges he admits after the trial.
Kenedy was working as an assistant surveyor in the Ministry of Lands in 2018 when he committed the offence.
On 9 January 2018, he forged the signatures of the holders of a Perpetual Estate (PE) on a parcel land as Transferor and Transferee in the Ministry of Lands transfer instrument.
He then allegedly registered himself as the holder of the PE of the parcel of land at Aola in Guadalcanal.
Kenedy was sacked from the public service as a result of the alleged incident and was arrested and charged in February this year.
Murder in Central to High Court
THE man who allegedly stabbed another man to death in Central Province in April will face trial in the High Court.
This followed the committal of Matthew Kosa Manebona’s matter on Thursday at the Honiara Magistrate’s Court.
Principal Magistrate Fatima Taeburi yesterday committed Manebona’s matter to the High Court for trial after finding sufficient evidence against him on the murder charge.
Manebona will make his first appearance in the High Court on June 25 for direction hearing on his matter.
He was accused of the murder of a 25 year-old man at Halavo Village, Central Province on 5 April this year.
Prosecution alleged he cut the deceased on the left side of his head also allegedly stabbed him on the right stomach following an argument between them.
The deceased was taken to the Tulagi hospital and then to the National Referral Hospital where he was confirmed dead.
Benham Ifuto’o of the Public Solicitor’s Office represents Manebona while Public Prosecutor Amanda Mono is prosecuting.
