* Four Winwin mining alleged robbers without lawyers
* No pleas yet, Sailors case adjourned
* Man injures dad jailed
Four Winwin mining alleged robbers without lawyers
FOUR of the men accused of robbing a substantial amount of cash and two gold bars from the Winwin mining company in Central Guadalcanal last December are still without lawyers.
Greg Hurainima, Olson Seda, Samo Kabolo, and Martin Maelifanua are yet to have a lawyer. The fifth accused Samson Sake is engaging private lawyer Ben Etomea.
They are all facing one count each of armed robbery.
All of them except for Hurainima also face another charge of impersonating a police officer.
They all appeared before Chief Magistrate Emma Garo yesterday and their matter was further adjourned to February 10.
The adjournment was made to allow the prosecution to obtain outstanding statements and sort out the charge and for the Public Solicitor’s Office to allocate lawyers to represent the four accused.
Another accused namely Watson Tabaliau who was recently arrested by police was remanded in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
He will appear in court again on February 8. He is also facing an armed robbery charge.
The six men were charged in relation to the allegation on 9 December 2020 at the Winwin mining company in North Central Guadalcanal.
It was alleged that these five men were amongst other men who entered the company armed with pepper spray and robbed two gold bars, $140,000 cash and 15 mobile phones.
Some of the men were alleged to have worn police blue sky uniforms and others wore police t-shirts.
The men were also alleged to have travelled using a white land cruiser.
So far only two mobile phones had been recovered.
One of the suspects that police arrested has since been released without a charge.
Public Prosecutor Dalcy Belapitu appears for the Crown.
No pleas yet, Sailors case adjourned
THE three foreign sailors who allegedly entered the country during the State of Public Emergency (SOPE) period last year had not yet taken their pleas.
Willy Martinussen, Maria Berana Eustaquio, and Michael Kirtley Gee were supposed to enter their pleas to the charge of Prohibition of entry of non-citizen under the SOPE regulation.
Their lawyer told the court that he was informed by the prosecution that the three accused will be running late to court from Tulagi under Police Escort because they had to sort out fuel, hence the delay.
The court had previously varied some of their bail conditions to enable them to travel to Tulagi, to fix their faulty yacht which was berthing there.
Chief Magistrate Emma Garo having heard from the defense counsel adjourned the matter to February 5.
The three sailors were accused of entering the country during the SOPE period without the exemption from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) or the Covid-19 Oversight Committee.
It was alleged that they travelled together on two separate yachts and entered the country between November and December last year.
They were allegedly sighted anchoring at Baralau Island, Aola in Guadalcanal.
They were allegedly on their way to Indonesia from Fiji and made their way into the country after encountering engine problems.
Whitlam Togamae Lawyers firm is representing the trio while the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) appears for the Crown.
Man injures dad jailed
A MAN who confessed to throwing firewood at his father and caused him injury has been sentenced to 12 months in prison, Wednesday.
James Sosola, 31, was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of unlawful wounding.
This is not the first time Sosola is in trouble with the law.
He was previously convicted and jailed in 2017 and 2019 on charges of intimidation, assault causing actual bodily harm, and domestic violence.
Deputy Chief Magistrate Ricky Iomea in his sentencing remarks said Sosola’s return to court again suggests that he seemed to be having some kind of difficulty with controlling his anger and violent behaviour.
“…..and it seems that his past convictions and imprisonment had not dissuaded him from re-offending,” Iomea said.
The incident happened at Ha’a Village, Big Gela in Central Islands Province on 13 August 2020.
Sosola arrived home and was unhappy because the food was not ready.
He first threw a bush knife at his father but his father missed the knife.
He then threw firewood at his father.
The firewood landed on the right side of his father’s forehead causing a cut.
As a result of this, blood ran down his father’s face and he felt dizzy.
His father was taken to the Tulagi Police Station where he reported the matter and later attended the Tulagi hospital for medical treatment.
Iomea said the facts showed that Sosola was clearly not happy because the food was not ready when he arrived at their kitchen hut.
“He could not control his anger and turned his anger on his father.
“This unlawful action cannot be justified,” Iomea added.
A starting point of 18 months imprisonment was imposed but six months was then deducted to reflect Sosola’s guilty plea.
The sentence was ordered to commence when Sosola was first remanded in custody.
Donation Houa of the Public Solicitor’s Office represented Sosola while Public Prosecutor Hellen Naqu appeared for the Crown.
