One of the men accused of robbing the ANZ Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) at the Kwaimani Building last year has been allocated a new lawyer.
This was after George Gray of Public Solicitor’s Office who represented Severio Sulimae did not turn up in court on a number of court appearances because he was on leave.
He is now reportedly on a sick leave.
The matter has been listed for a number of times previously for the pre-trial conference in this case, but no pre-trial conference has been conducted so far.
The pre-trial conference documents were already prepared by the prosecution but were waiting to be signed by the defence counsels before it is to be filed.
On the last occasion, the court was informed that the file of the accused Severio Sulimae will be allocated to another lawyer.
Yesterday, the court was told Sulimae’s file was allocated to Gray’s colleague Chris Rarumae.
Rarumae asked the court for more time to get instructions from his new client and to look at the pre-trial conference documents.
Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Kouhota adjourned the matter to August 6 for pre-trial conference.
Sulimae and his co-accused Dilo Faiga and a Security Officer Joe Silas are each facing one count of robbery charge.
This was in relation to the allegation on the night of July 25, 2014 at the Kwaimani building at Kukum, East Honiara.
Prosecution alleged the men arrived in a car driven by Sulimae that has a fake plate number and used a crow bar to uproot the ANZ machine.
It was also alleged that one of the men, who is still at large was armed with a rifle.
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.
The stolen ATM machine weighs more than 200 kilograms.
Rarumae’s colleagues, Wayne Ghemu and Lazarus Kwaiga are representing Faiga and Silas while Public Prosecutor Nelson Dhita represents the Crown.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
