A MAN accused of stealing a large quantity of gold carbon from Gold Ridge Mining Company in Central Guadalcanal has been remanded in custody, while his alleged accomplices remain at large.
Aron Loke, 33, faces one count of warehouse breaking and committing felony.
He appeared on Wednesday in the Honiara Magistrate Court, where a remand application was made to keep him in custody for the next 14 days.
Public Prosecutor Herrick Lautalo applied for remand on grounds that the offence is serious and carries a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment
He told the court that investigations are ongoing, and that the accused poses a flight risk and could interfere with witnesses.
Lautalo also proposed strict bail conditions, including a cash bail of $500 should the court decide to grant bail.
A lawyer from the Public Solicitor’s Office, James Tetea, who assisted Loke, argued that section 106 of the Criminal Procedure Code stipulates that only treason and murder cases are mandatory no-bail offences.
He submitted that there are no records indicating Loke had previously absconded from court, and that Loke’s wife was willing to act as surety and pay the cash bail.
He further argued that Loke would not interfere with witnesses.
Principal Magistrate Felix Hollison, after hearing submissions from both counsels, ordered that Loke be remanded in custody pending a formal bail application to be made on November 5.
One of the reasons for Loke’s remand was that the accused had reportedly admitted to police his involvement in the offence, which indicated a high chance of conviction.
Lautalo told the court that the alleged incident occurred on about 1.35 am on 11 October at the Gold Ridge Mining compound.
He said a group of men entered one of the company’s sites known as Acom Base, broke the lock of a storage container, and stole a large quantity of gold carbon before fleeing the scene.
The matter was reported to Henderson Police and a case was established for further investigation.
During the investigation, police obtained a CCTV footage showing the men entering the storage container at the time of the incident.
Loke was later identified by witnesses as one of the men involved.
He was arrested on 17 October, and during a recorded interview with police admitted his involvement in the offence along with others.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
