A MAN who claimed to be a recruiting agent for the Pacific Australian Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme and his co-accused are likely to take their pleas on February 4.
Joe Rex Raukaniu, 38, Shirly Fa’aitoa and Elsie Nagive are jointly charged with two counts of false pretence.
It was heard in court on Tuesday that the prosecution had served disclosures to Raukaniu’s lawyer as well as to Fa’aitoa and Nagive, who are still without legal representation.
Principal Magistrate Elma Veenah Rizzu Hilly directed the prosecution to serve the disclosures to Fa’aitoa and Nagive, so they could pass them on to any lawyer who will represent them.
On the next court date, which is February 4, all three defendants are expected to take their pleas, pending whether Fa’aitoa and Nagive have secured legal representations by then.
Raukaniu who claimed to be a recruiting agent and the two other defendants whom are his workers allegedly committed the offences in 2023.
According to the prosecution, the defendants worked together to deceive people and had collected over $4,000 from individuals who wanted their names included on the list of workers bound for Australia.
However, the complainants reported the defendants to the police after receiving no response from them on their applications to work in Australia.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
