Pastor leads 9 others to damage property and demand $10k on Savo

Police have arrested nine suspects for demanding ten thousand dollars from the Bazo community in Savo Island, Central Province, last week for an unknown reason.

The arrest came about after the nine suspects from a village in Malaita province led by a pastor went over to Savo and demanded compensation.

The Boza community were not happy with their pastor for the past years who has been benefiting from their Honourable Member of Parliament (MP).

Recently, the honourable member called the pastor and gave him some amount of dollars purposely for his community but he did not share it with them.

The Boza community was not happy and told the pastor and his wife to leave the community, claiming that since he (pastor) married their sister he was so dominant over the family and the community and they did not benefit from him and the MP.

The pastor and his wife left the Boza community to Honiara and later he sent back his wife to collect some Church properties. This was when the community told the wife to leave the church properties so that they could be used for church programs.

The pastor was disappointed, teamed up with another eight people and went to Savo and threatened and demanded ten thousand dollars.

Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Central Province, Superintendent David Soakai said, “It was alleged that upon the arrival of the nine men, they assaulted a victim in the presence of his wife and children.”

Soakai said, “One of the suspects struck the axe towards the victim but luckily he escaped and ran for his life. Another suspect also used a homemade pistol and threatened one of the victims during the incident.”

He said the group of men were armed with objects, axes and knives and shouted and used abusive words in the community while searching for the victim after he escaped.

“After their search for the victim failed, they returned to his residence, chased his family, damaged their dwelling house and other household items worth 10 thousand dollars plus,” PPC Soakai said.

 “The son of the victim was injured and an elderly female in the community was scared trying to escape and fell helplessly as the drama continued on. The suspects also set fire to a kitchen belonging to the victim but luckily some of the villagers helped to put off the fire,” said Soakai.

A joint investigation between Tulagi police and National Criminal Investigation Department of the RSIPF are still ongoing into this incident.

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