BY ROMINAH FAKA
The Magistrate Court heard an interim mention of the case involving four individuals allegedly charged in connection with the break-in at the Tech Hub shop at Koloale earlier this year.
The four defendants Stephen Yim, Jared Meke, Andrew Kiriau and Jimmy Kiriau were jointly charged with one count of shop breaking and have pleaded not guilty to the charge.
There were no issues raised in court yesterday regarding the voir dire trial, which was set in the previous hearing to commence from September 8-15.
The three defendants, namely Stephen Yim, Jared Meke, and Jimmy Kiriau, challenged the record of interview on the grounds of unfairness and involuntariness, except for defendant Andrew Kiriau.
The court adjourned the matter to July 17 for next interim-mention.
Police alleged that on January 31, 2025, the complainant was informed that someone had broken into her shop, the Tech Hub Shop situated at Koloale area.
She then went to her shop and upon entering saw a hole at the ceiling.
She also noticed that a glass counter which phones were displayed inside was broken and her lockup in which phones are stored was also broken and left open.
From there she checked all the properties inside the shop and confirmed that these following items were stolen 18 iPhone 8s worth $27,000, 65 iPhone 7s worth $65,000, 1 Samsung Galaxy S21 worth $3,800 and cash of $560.
The complainant checked the installed CCTV camera and saw footage of the thief who stole the mobile phones and cash.
Police alleged that prior to the incident, one of her employees at Tech Hub shop who is defendant Mr Jimmy Kiriau, provided information to the other four defendants about the business activity at Tech Hub shop, phone lockup storage at tech hub, cashier table, CCTV camera position inside the shop, the surroundings and security of Tech Hub shop.
The information was provided to his associates to help with their plan to break in and steal from the shop, police said.
In the early hours of January 31, 2025 between 4am and 5am, defendants Stephen Yim, Jared Meke, Andrew Kiriau and another suspect who is still at large boarded a dark tinted gray van.
They drove to Koloale area at Tech Hub shop and when they reached the junction, they dropped off the suspect who is still at large and drove back to a market stall located few meters away from Tech Hub shop.
It is alleged the market stall was owned by the security officer of Tech Hub.
The allegation said defendant Stephen Yim left the van while defendant Jared Meke and Andrew Kiriau remained inside the vehicle, and watched while Yim distracted the security officer from concentrating towards the Tech Hub shop.
Yim engaged in conversation with the security officer and started telling jokes to gain his attention.
Yim also allegedly played loud music from the vehicle to distract any noise from Tech Hub shop when the suspect who is still at large broke in through the shop roof and entered, police alleged.
After sometime the security officer heard loud banging noises coming from Tech Hub shop so, he walked towards the building to see where the noise was coming from.
He entered the main door and saw the back of the suspect, who is still at large as he was exiting Tech Hub and walking up Koloale road to the car wash area.
The security officer walked back to defendant Yim and told him what he saw, and in response Yim told the security that he would assist him chase after the suspect and so, he went inside the vehicle and drove after the suspect. But instead of chasing the suspect, Yim picked up the suspect.
It was further alleged that Yim drove back and slowly passed the security officer and asked if the security had seen the suspect. The officer replied saying he did not and defendant Yim drove off.
On February 3, 2025, officers from Central Response Unit and Central Police Criminal Investigations Department located defendant Yim, Meke and Andrew Kiriau at Namuruka, White River. Police said they all had in their possession the iPhones and were arrested. Police recovered eight iPhones from defendant Yim, seven iPhones from Meke and 18 iPhones from defendant Andrew Kiriau.
The complainant made identification on the recovered iPhones on February 3, 2025 and confirmed that they were iPhones stolen from the Tech Hub shop.
Police made two attempts to apprehended the prime suspect who is still at large but failed. He is reportedly holding onto a large portion of the stolen iPhones and cash, police alleged.
Fransica Luza from Office of Public Prosecutions is prosecuting and Donation Houa appears for defence.
For feedback, contact:[email protected]
