The captains of the three blue boats who illegally entered our waters and stole our marine resources will appear in the High Court again on June 9.
This is for the mention of their matter and for the court to hear the next step their matter had reached so far since now they are legally represented.
The Public Solicitor’s Office (PSO) had confirmed last Friday it will represent the three captains, Do Van Va, Vo Van Vi, and Nguyen Nguyen.
Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer had on the last court hearing made direction for the Public Solicitor’s Office to represent the three accused.
This was after the accused told the court they could not afford a private lawyer.
They need a lawyer to represent them due to the seriousness of the offences they are facing.
The captains’ matter was transferred from the Honiara Magistrates’ Court early this month to be dealt with in the High Court.
The High Court will deal with their case and also deal with other issues such as the forfeiture of the boats as well as the fishing gears on board the blue boats.
The three captains are facing charges of illegal entry into Fisheries water without an appropriate entry permit approved by Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, prohibition of catching, selling of Beche-de-mer, permitting Fishing gears on board Fishing vessel in the Fisheries waters, and engaging in activity relating to fish processing for the purpose of export without a valid license.
They were charged under various sections of the Fisheries Management Act 2015 and Fisheries (Amendment) Regulation 2009.
The maximum penalty for these offences ranges from $100,000 to $12 million fines or three years imprisonment.
The 40 crews and three captains of the three wooden blue boats have been caught by police on 26 March this year at the Indispensable Reef, 50 Kilometres south of Rennell Island, Renbel Province.
The court had on Monday extended the detention order of the 40 crew members of the blue boats to May 31.
This is for the review and for an Immigration Officer to update the court regarding the departure of the 40 crews.
This was after an Immigration Officer Chris Akosawa confirmed to the court the fines of the 40 crews and three captains for their illegal stay in the country have been paid.
He also informed the court that the airfares for the 40 crews were also paid and the first four crews will leave the country today.
The other nine crews will leave on Friday and the rest on May 29.
A total of US$4,300 fine which is equivalent to about SBD $33, 454 has been already paid to the State.
Chief Magistrate John Numapo had ordered them to pay up the total fine of about SBD $33, 454 after they pleaded guilty to the charges against them under the Immigration Act, being one of unlawful citizen.
They were each imposed with a $100 US dollars each, which totalled up to US $4,300 and equivalent to about SBD $33, 454.
This is pursuant to sections 28 (1) and 29 (1) read with 87 (1) of the Immigration Regulation of 2013, with a daily fine of prescribed amount of USD $20 per day for the days commencing from the date of their unlawful non-citizen in the Solomon Islands when they were sighted on the Indispensable reef near Rennell and Bellona province until the date of their arrest, on 26 March, 2017.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
