Court set one week trial for July riot case

The 2010 July riot case is still pending before the court in Luganville. The case was postponed many times in order to get more then 50 youth involved in this riot to go before the court and finally Judge Oliver Sacksack decided to set aside one week for the trial of this case, starting on May 9.

Not all the 50 defendants were present last week during the hearing but Judge Sacksack warned those present that a warrant of arrest will be delivered if they are absent on their trial week. He said this included students. These students were asked to get permission from their school council to be available at their trial week, and if not their parents will appear before the court on their behalf.

The defendants have been released on bail since August 2010, with conditions.

However, the public in Luganville still has questions about the issue of the misappropriation of VT 4 million by the committee of the Independence celebration in Luganville.

The riot took place after youth in Luganville were disappointed by how the money for the 30th anniversary of Independence celebration in Luganville was handled and distributed.

During the week of the riot, a member of the independence committee admitted to the public in Luganville that it was true the VT 4 million was mishandled.

The Independent understands the committee of independence already wrote a report to the minister concerned about the use of money but nothing was made public, as promised by the lady mayor at that time, Irene Masanga.

Commander north Willie Samuel explained that this is the first time such riot involving youth has taken place in Luganville and he will not tolerate it any more. He said the riot case at the Supreme Court is about the destruction of the police station building downtown on the night of July 31, 2010. He said the issue of misappropriation of money is a completely separate issue which must be looked into by the Luganville municipal council.

Meanwhile many parents of he youths charged have protested the innocence of their children, some even describing the incident as police brutality.

A number of witnesses will be brought to court on May 9 to testify about the infamous night of July 31, 2010.