Eight men have been convicted and fined by the Honiara Central Magistrate’s Court for liquor- related and traffic offences.
Five of the men were fined for consuming liquor in public places, while three others faced traffic-related offences involving alcohol and unlicensed driving.
All cases were prosecuted by Police Prosecutor Smith Abuo.
The five men appeared before Magistrate Pauline Smith-Taroimae recently and pleaded guilty to consuming liquor in public places contrary to section 65 of the Liquor Act.
The offences occurred at Point Cruz, particularly around the Hapai area, behind the Point Cruz Bulkshop and an area near the Yacht Club, which police described as hot spots for such behaviour that often disturbs public movement.
The defendants — Timi Ogofi, 29, John Lighua, 53, Jack Hou, 44, Harrison Raga, 21, and Jerry Rodger all pleaded guilty and were convicted.
Ogofi, Raga, and Rodger were each fined $300, while Lighua and Hou were fined $400.
All fines are to be paid by November 21, 2025, or the defendants will serve 20 days imprisonment in default.
Prosecutor Abuo told the court that the offence remains prevalent in Honiara despite continuous police warnings.
He said some people continue to ignore the law and urged the court to send a strong deterrence message to others.
The court also dealt with three traffic-related cases handled by Prosecutor Abuo, all of which occurred on October 12, 2025.
In the first case, Jossess Tony was convicted of having alcohol in his blood while driving along the Kukum Highway.
He was arrested by Kukum Traffic Officers at around 12:05 am and fined $1,300.
Jacob Casper Kitoto, pleaded guilty to driving an unlicensed motor vehicle and was fined $700 after being stopped by police at about 3:30 am on the same highway.
In the third case, Remosio Talifilu, also pleaded guilty to presence of alcohol in person’s blood and was fined $1,000. The incident occurred around 12:42 am.
In delivering the penalties, the court noted the seriousness of such offences and emphasized that both public drinking and drink-driving pose risks to community safety and public order.
It further warned that offenders who continue to ignore the law will face stricter punishment in future.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
