A traffic accident involving the Member of Parliament (MP) for North-West Guadalcanal Bodo Dettke is still under investigation – four months after the accident, police said, Tuesday.
Police said the accident happened opposite the Central Market area in Honiara on 8 August 2020.
National Traffic Department of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) charged the MP with careless driving on 24 September 2020 – almost two months after the accident.
Director of the Traffic Department Superintendent Fred Satu said the MP was charged for careless driving contrary to section 40 subsection (1) of the Road and Transport Board Act, cap 131.
Bodo was then bailed to appear before the Honiara Magistrates’ Court on 6 October 2020.
To this day, the MP is yet to appear before the court, according to the Court.
When this paper inquired yesterday, it was told nothing on the matter has come before the Court.
“The court is yet to receive the case file on Hon Bodo’s traffic accident,” directing our inquiries to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution.
When this paper contacted the ODPP, it said the case was with the Traffic Department, something Mr. Satu vehemently denied.
Satu earlier said the Traffic Department had already forwarded the file on the case to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution.
Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau was asked about the matter during two of his weekly conferences recently. His response was that he would get back after consulting with his responsible officers and departments.
In his news conference last week, the question was again put to Commissioner Mangau.
His response then was “the matter is yet to be completed and presented before the Court, adding “some information pertaining to the accident is yet to be collected.”
“There are other matters, other activities police are yet to complete before the matter is put before the court,” he said.
Mangau said there is evidence that is yet to be collected, few statements yet to be gathered from people who witnessed the incident.
He said it is likely that Police will apply for re-bail of the MP depending on the nature of the investigation.
“Police will re-bail Bodo for new bail to go to court depending on the nature of the investigations that are yet to be completed.
“Re-bail means we will take him back to appear before the court,” he said.
It is alleged that Hon. Dettke was driving a Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle when he veered off the westbound lane, breaking the part of the fence on the median strip, across from the Central Market Plaza, in Honiara.
Police picked him up at the scene and took him to the Central Police station for an RBT test which returned negative.
By IAN M.KAUKUI
Newsroom, Honiara