TRIAL dates on the matter of Malaita Provincial Assembly Member for West Baegu-Fataleka Ward and a former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani and his political adviser Celsius Talifilu will be fixed on 16 January 2025.
This was after their pre-trial conference documents were tendered in court on Tuesday.
Suidani and Talifilu are now facing only two counts of Unlawful Assembly.
They were initially charged with three counts of Unlawful Assembly, but one of the charges was withdrawn on Tuesday.
Mary-Anne Zurenuoc of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) had made an application under section 190 (2) (b) (1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).
This was because they do not have evidence to proceed with that charge.
Magistrate Emily Zazariko Vagibule Pakoa granted the application and ordered the charge to be withdrawn from both defendants.
She said the defendants are now only left with two counts of Unlawful Assembly.
Magistrate Pakoa then adjourned the matter to 16 January 2025 for the setting of the trial dates before Principal Magistrate Elma Veenah Rizzu Hilly
The matter has been allocated to Magistrate Hilly, but she is currently on annual leave.
These charges relate to unlawful assemblies and a protest in the Malaita Provincial Capital Auki in 2021 when MPA Suidani was Premier of Malaita Province and Mr Talifilu was his political advisor.
The unlawful assemblies and protest were carried out by the Malaita for Democracy (M4D) movement against the decision by the former Democratic Coalition Government for Advancement (DCGA) to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan in favour of Beijing.
Lily Ramo of Justlaw Attorneys is representing the defendants.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
