THE matter of the two men accused of the murder of a seven year-old girl at Kolombangara, Western Province last October has been administratively adjourned to March 9.
Joe Mae and Tusi Pilimana are both facing a charge of murder and yet to plea to the charge.
They are both represented by the Public Solicitor’s Office.
The two men are currently on remand at the Gizo Correctional Centre since they were arrested last year.
Their matters were recently listed before the Gizo Magistrate’s Court in the past weeks and was administratively adjourned to March 9.
Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 in the country in January all the cases listed before the court was administratively adjourned for 14 days.
A call to the Gizo Magistrate’s Court also revealed that they are yet to set up audio visual link so that court sessions can proceed but plans are under way for that to happen soon.
A Gizo Court staff spoken to said that should be done any time this week or next week.
The two men were charged in connection to the incident that happened on 14 October 2021at Kolombangara.
It was earlier reported that the deceased who was a seven year-old girl went missing on that day which is on a Thursday while on her way home from school with her siblings.
According to police initial report, the deceased told her elder siblings on their way home from school that she was hungry so she started running ahead of them to quickly reach home.
The report said she reached a sharp bend of the main road where her siblings were unable to see her.
When her siblings arrived home they did not see her and alerted their parents which prompted a search.
The report further stated that a day passed with no sign of her until the next day on Saturday 16 October 2021 they managed to find only her school bag containing her slippers and school uniform hidden within the root of tree.
It was not until mid-morning on Monday 18 October 2021 that the body of the deceased was discovered inside a creek and was in a state of decomposition.
The report also stated that it was visible that her two arms were missing with a wound on her shoulder and bruises on her thighs.
Police officers at Ringi and Poitete attended the scene with a doctor and confirmed that the body found was lifeless.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Newsroom, Honiara
