A PRE-TRIAL conference will take place next month on the case of a woman facing false pretence charges.
After the conference, a second trial date will be fixed.
The first trial was vacated after private lawyer Samuel Balea, who used to represent Cathy Roy, withdrew his representation.
The accused is now represented by Henry Kausimae of Public Solicitor’s Office.
Time was given for her to give instructions to her new lawyer.
Mr Kausimae on Tuesday told the court he has already obtained instructions and therefore a pre-trial conference date should be fixed.
Principal Magistrate Jim Seuika suggested setting the trial date seeing that the first trial was vacated due to the change of lawyer.
But Police Prosecutor John Palmer said he agreed with the defence counsel for a pre-trial conference to be conducted.
He said this was because the pre-trial conference documents before the first trial was never filed.
Mr Seuika therefore adjourned the matter to September 1 for the pre-trial conference.
Cathy Roy of Central Province faces six counts of false pretence charges.
She was accused of obtaining more than $40,000 under false pretence between June 2014 and July 2014.
Police alleged that between June and July 2014, Roy of JR Construction & Property Real Estate Company obtained $44,600.67 by false pretence.
It was alleged that in early 2014, the accused called in at the complainant’s office at Tasahe and proposed to bring prospective renters for his apartments under the conditions that the property must be insured.
The complainant Peter Zheng is the Managing Director of Far East Enterprise LTD, in Honiara, who is residing at his apartment at Tasahe.
Court documents revealed that the accused personally recommended Tower Insurance and allegedly offered to act as Mr Zheng’s proxy to make payment to the insurance company.
She specifically told Mr Zheng that Tower Insurance does not accept any company’s cheque except cash.
The accused also allegedly claimed her clients were waiting to sign the lease agreement and would move in soon.
She allegedly insisted on insuring the house by paying cash, which she could take to the insurance company and pay on Zheng’s behalf.
However, on 10 June 2014, Mr Zheng issued a Westpac cashier’s cheque in the sum of $14,000 for the accused to cash from the bank with the full intention that she would then make cash payments to Tower Insurance for the first house.
On 16 June 2014, Cathy allegedly claimed that the insurance company had made a mistake because $14,000 does not include insurance of the contents within the house.
As a result, Mr Zheng gave the accused $5,800 in cash for her to sort out the insurance payment for the first house, which she allegedly claimed her clients were waiting to sign the lease agreement upon seeing the insurance certificates.
It was later alleged Cathy told Mr Zheng that the manager of the insurance from Papua New Guinea (PNG) had confirmed to rent the apartment.
However, Cathy said that person’s work permit was not yet issued to him from the Labour Division, so she went to help him sort out his work permit.
Therefore, she had no time to sign the lease agreement with other clients from Oxfam International and Bishop Brothers.
The accused allegedly on other dates asked Mr Zheng for cash payment to cover the contents of the house.
The total amount of money Mr Zheng allegedly gave the accused was $44,600.67.
It was alleged Tower Insurance never received any payment because the cheques the accused issued were dishonoured.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN