A RAPE trial that was supposed to proceed on Monday next week in the High Court has been vacated and referred back to Criminal Listing Committee to fix a new date.
As a result of this, a huge loss of money was wasted just to bring the witnesses over to Honiara and have them sent back.
The witnesses were brought over from North Malaita to Honiara for the one week trial commencing on Monday next week.
The Director of Public Prosecution Ronald Bei Talasasa said this is a great cost to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
He said the High Court should have warned them a week prior to the scheduled date for hearing so that they could not bring the witnesses over to Honiara.
He said he is not pleased with this late notice, now that the witnesses are in Honiara awaiting the matter to start Monday next week.
Mr Talasasa said a lot of money could have been saved by proper planning and organising.
“Could we be much different in 2015?”
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
