Suspect charged in 2016 murder of man found hanging in Makira village

More than a year after the body of a 25-year-old man was found hanging in a village near the Makira-Ulawa provincial capital of Kirakira, a suspect has been charged with the man’s murder.

The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force charged a male suspect in his 40s with one count of murder in connection with the incident at Humou village in May last year.

“Officers from the National Criminal Investigation Department in Honiara had to make several trips to investigate the matter, and this month a team of investigators travelled to Kirakira and followed up information and got the breakthrough from potential witnesses,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police, Crime Ian Vaevaso.

Two investigators escorted the suspect to Honiara last weekend on a Solomon Airlines flight, he said.

The Serious Crime Squad of the police force interviewed the suspect, and he was later charged under Section 200 of the Penal Code.

The suspect appeared in Court on Monday and has been remanded in custody until his next court appearance in 14 days.