THE type of committal hearing to be conducted on the case of one of the men accused of the brutal murder of a man back in 2011 will be decided on 10 April.
Salestine Thugea appeared before Principal Magistrate Fatima Taeburi at the Honiara Magistrates’ Court and was further remanded to allow him see his lawyer and give instructions.
Thugea is co-accused with John Sikua, Seford Sikua, Harold Saea and Stanley Gitoa the alleged murder of a man at 11 March, 2011 at Dudula, East Guadalcanal.
All the accused are already committed to stand trial in the High Court for this matter except for Thugea.
Gitoa is currently serving a life time imprisonment for another separate murder case while he is also remanded in custody for this murder case.
Thugea’s fate is awaiting the outcome of the committal hearing, which will take place anytime soon after he confirmed the type of preliminary inquiry to be conducted.
Whether the hearing will be in a short form or a long form inquiry, that would be made known at the next hearing.
The men were accused of being part of a group, who allegedly disturbed a reconciliation meeting at Dudula village in East Guadalcanal.
The deceased was also attending the meeting that was about to start when the accused men and their group arrived.
The meeting was organised by chiefs in that area to settle claims that a little girl died as a result of sorcery.
The accused’s group allegedly came and argued with the deceased’s group and a fight broke out.
It was alleged the four men attacked the deceased and when the deceased tried to run away from them, Thugea chased the deceased with a bayonet.
Prosecution alleged that Saea allegedly intercepted the deceased and assaulted him when he fell on to the ground.
Thugea then allegedly took a bush knife and butchered open the deceased’s belly.
The deceased died shortly after he was butchered.
Chris Rarumae of Public Solicitor’s Office is representing Thugea while Public Prosecutor Andrew Kelesi appeared for the state.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
