THE two officers accused of bribing a leading investigator in a stolen gold ashes case with $30,000, have denied the allegation laid against them.
Allen Noni and Gravis Afuga, who are being jointly charged with one count of Bribery, entered not- guilty pleas in Magistrate court on Friday.
Noni also pleaded not guilty to a second bribery charge, which was charged separately against him.
After entering their not guilty pleas, their matter was adjourned to March 7 for oral Pre-Trial Conference.
The allegations against the two officers stem from an investigation last year into a stolen gold ashes case, worth 2.6 million.
The officers were part of the investigation team but allegedly bribed the lead investigator with $30,000 to cease the investigation into Max Gura’s involvement in the offence of Simple Larceny.
The bribe was intended to divert the investigation to focus only on the prime suspect, who is still at large.
The officers were arrested and charged after the alleged bribe on two occasions last November.
Gura and his wife Miriam Sasau, the defendants in the gold ashes case, had already pleaded not guilty to the charge of Simple Larceny and Possession of Police Property in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court.
They are now awaiting a pre-trial conference.
Gura’s lawyer made a bail application, which the court will deliver on Thursday this week.
The prime suspect, who stole the gold from his boss inside his boss’s vehicle, is still at large.
It is alleged that Gura assisted the prime suspect in escaping to a village in Guadalcanal in his vehicle before fleeing to Malaita in November 2024.
Before escaping, the prime suspect allegedly handed the remaining gold ashes to Gura, who sold them and used the proceeds to buy vehicles and a piece of land.
On December 5, 2024, police executed a search warrant at the couple’s residence and found a small bottle containing gold ashes and $6,317.60 in cash, and police uniforms.
The defendants were arrested on December 4, 2024, while trying to board M.V. Ocean Joy.
Donation Houa is representing both accused, whilst Public Prosecutor Jeremy Oiofa is appearing for the Crown.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
