TRIAL for four men who allegedly raided a house and ransacked three containers belonging the Ocean Sky at Number Three in China Town during the COVID-19 curfew in the early hours of 11 February 2022 has started.
Philip Solodia, 30, Michael Donga, 28, Moses Fono’ota, 28, and Lawrence Alufurai, 25, are on trial for the charges of Restriction of Movement of Persons, Simple Larceny and Burglary.
The trial was presided over by Principal Magistrate, Fatima Taeburi, yesterday morning.
The prosecution had already called one witness for their case before the trial was adjourned to Thursday for continuation. This was because Magistrate Taeburi had another part-heard trial that she would hear today.
On 11 February 2022, the Prime Minister signed an order to further reduce the hours in the initial curfew he signed.
According to the prosecution case, the new order revoked the previous curfew hours between 6pm to 6am to 12 am midnight to 6am as of 11 February.
The purpose of the curfew is to reduce COVID -19 community transmission.
According the curfew requirements, any person in the emergency zone must remain at his or her place of residence and not to leave or be away from his or her place of residence except for essential workers who were allowed to move around within the Honiara Emergency Zone from the Alligator Bridge on the eastern end and Poha Bridge in the western end of the national capital.
The prosecution alleged that regardless of the said curfew order, at around 3am on 12 February 2022, the four defendants left their place of residence at Mamana Water Settlement.
They allegedly headed to Koa Hill Settlement to join other youths there to break-in at Ocean Sky compound at Number Three, Chinatown, subsequent to their pre-arrangement made in the early evening.
At the Ocean Sky compound, the prosecution alleged the four defendants and another person who were masked and armed with bush knives entered the property.
The house belonged to the owner of the Ocean Sky, a Retail and Wholesale businessman who is a neutralised Solomon Islands citizen.
The defendants allegedly entered the property and threw stones at the security officers.
They then ran towards the house and forcefully opened the main door before entering the house and stole $260 cash, six mobile phones, container documents, a passport, license and the keys of a car and a 3-tonne pick-up truck.
The prosecution further alleged they also ransacked goods and tools from three containers.
The total value of the stolen items cost around SBD $402, 310.
The matter was reported to police in the morning of the same day and following police investigations, police located the four defendants at Mamana Water settlement.
Police arrested them and recovered $26,275 from their possession.
Private lawyer, Hubert Fugui and Public Solicitors, Bobby Harunari and Frank Kama are representing the four defendants, whilst Public Prosecutor, Samuel Tovosia, is prosecuting.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
