THE man accused of setting fire to a dwelling house at Wagina, Choiseul Province, in 2014 is without a lawyer.
Steven Kalisto Tebano was previously represented by George Gray of Public Solicitor’s Office.
Mr Gray however is due to leave on a study leave and this matter would therefore be re-allocated to another lawyer.
Henry Kausimae said he will follow up with the file from his colleague Gray so a re-allocation can be made.
The matter is awaiting a pre-trial conference.
Tebano had initially entered a guilty plea to the arson charge when he was still without a lawyer in the Honiara Magistrates Court.
His matter was then transferred to the High Court for sentencing.
Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer however returned this matter to the Magistrates Court for sentencing.
This was on the basis that a magistrate has the jurisdiction to sentence the accused in the Honiara Magistrates Court.
However, upon returning to the magistrates’ court and arming with a lawyer on a previous appearance, the accused changed his plea to not guilty.
His lawyer had made the application for Tebano to be re-arraigned since the first plea was entered when he was without a lawyer.
The pre-trial conference that was supposed to be conducted next on this matter is now pending the re-allocation of a lawyer for Tebano since Gray would be leaving soon.
Public Prosecutor Jasper Highwood Anisi is representing the Crown on this matter.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN