Tribal chief in Choiseul Province in Solomon Islands charged for alleged malicious damage

Solomon Islands Police at the Taro Police Station in Choiseul Province are awaiting the appearance of a tribal chief in the Gizo Magistrates Court on charges of alleged malicious damage and resisting police arrest after the chief was arrested on 20 March 2018.

The suspect has since been remanded at the Gizo Correctional Centre in Western Province to appear in Court to face the two charges against him.

Provincial Police Commander, Choiseul Province, Superintendent Cedar Nevol explains: “It is alleged that on 3 March 2018, the tribal chief damaged a 40 HP engine of the Taro Police Station when the police spent the night at Mondomondo in North West Choiseul after attending reports of unwanted behaviour in the area. When police went to arrest the suspect on 4 March for the alleged offence, he resisted arrest.”

PPC Nevol adds: “Police continued its investigation into the matter until the chief was arrested on 20 March 2018 after members of the community reported to police in Taro that the suspect was allegedly causing disturbance at the Mondomondo log pond. He was arrested and charged with alleged malicious damage and resisting police arrest. He was transported to Gizo and remanded at the Correctional Centre there awaiting his day in Court.”

“I want to thank the members of the community at Mondomondo Village for working together with police which led to the successful arrest of the suspect. For a person with such a status in the community his actions of not respecting police property and resisting arrest must be condemned,” says PPC Nevol.