Court circuit in Central Province deals with 15 cases

Officers of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) in the Central Province took 33 cases before a recent court circuit conducted in the Province but only 15 matters were able to be dealt with and 14 suspects convicted for imprisonment.

The court circuit was held from 1 to 10 July 2020 with a team consisting of one Principle Magistrate, one defence council, two officers from the Office of the Director Public Prosecution and police prosecution in Central Province

Supervising Provincial Police Commander Central Province Inspector Hugo Maelasi says, “A total of 33 cases were prepared and pursued before the court but only 15 cases were dealt with as the defendants were available.”
Of the 15 cases dealt with the judgments were as follows:
- One defendant convicted for domestic violence and imprisoned for eight months;
- One defendant convicted for unlawful wounding and imprisoned for one year;
- One defendant convicted for threatening violence, common assault and malicious damage and imprisoned for three months;
- Two defendants convicted for unlawful wounding and imprisoned for 18 months;
- One defendant convicted for two counts of simple larceny and imprisoned for one year;
- One defendant convicted for common assault and sent to prison for three months; and
- Six defendants convicted and fined for criminal trespass, common assault, malicious damage, using abusive words, drunk and disorderly and bound over for one year not to recommit the same offences
“One case of common assault was dismissed and one case of intimidation, common assault and using abusive words was withdrawn. The others were warrant matters and matters for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution,” says Supervising PPC Inspector Maelasi.

“I want to thank the Chief Magistrate for scheduling the court circuit for Tulagi as this is the second circuit for this year. I also want to thank the touring magistrate, the court clerk and the public solicitors for providing support for our accused during the court hearings as well as the two police prosecution officers.”

“The office of the Provincial Police Commander Central Province will be working together with the provincial government and the office of the Chief Magistrate on a plan to build a proper court house at Tulagi to improve the delivery of justice at the provincial level,” says Supervising PPC Inspector Maelasi.