Wednesday 8 June 2011

Solomon Islands to seek legal advice on robbery

By GORETHY KENNETH

SOLOMON Islands will have to seek legal clarification from the PNG Government before they can call up four Bougainvilleans suspected of spearheading an armed robbery in that country.
The four men, allegedly from south Bougainville, have been identified as suspects in the armed raid at Fauro, Solomon Island’s Western Province last month where 20 bags of soil containing minerals extracted from the prospecting site and gold bars were stolen.
These men were also identified as the main players in the armed raid at the Solomon gold prospecting camp near Kariki village in the Shortlands Island.
Acting Solomon Islands police commissioner Walter Kola said from Solomon Islands that this was an issue that needed to be dealt with by the foreign affairs and police heads of the two countries so that mutual understanding could be reached and no diplomatic ties sabotaged.
In another case, Bougainvilleans could also be suspected of an incident where armed men entered a small settlement adjacent to the entrance of the GBR RAMSI base in Honiara and destroyed properties while threatening women and children and taking several valuable items away with them.
“According to information that transpired from this investigation, the four men were clearly identified as from Siwai. Siwai is a village in the southern part of Bougainville,” Mr Kola said.
“We know the suspects but our police will have to follow the international laws – because it will have to deal with PNG, Bougainville and Solomon Islands before the suspects are questioned by local police in Honiara.”
So far, 10 men have been questioned from Solomon Islands and the investigations is only awaiting the legal clarification from the two governments before the Bougainville men can be called up for questioning.



source: http://www.postcourier.com.pg/20110608/ispost01.htm

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