BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Police in Auki, Malaita Province, have opened an inquiry into the death of an elderly man whose body was found along the shoreline at Airahu in West Kwara’ae, raising concerns among relatives over the circumstances surrounding his death.
Malaita Province Police Commander (PPC), Michael Ramosaea confirmed this in an exclusive interview on Thursday, saying the incident had occurred on Saturday, January 10.
According to Mr Ramosaea, the deceased, believed to be between 50 and 60 years old, had gone fishing at around 1pm that day.
His body was later discovered on the shore at approximately 5pm after he failed to return home, Ramosaea said.
Ramosaea said the death has been classified as suspicious, prompting police to formally open an inquiry file while awaiting further information and medical reports.
He explained that relatives of the deceased alerted police after discovering the body, and officers promptly attended to the scene alongside medical personnel.
“This matter is of concern because the deceased was expected to appear in court over a land dispute. His family members have expressed fears that his death may be linked to that ongoing land issue,” he said.
He said police were also informed by relatives that the individual who reportedly found the body was allegedly an opposing party in the same land dispute, further heightening suspicions.
“As a result, we are treating the matter with caution and are gathering all relevant information before determining the next steps,” he said.
Ramosaea said the inquiry was opened to allow police to properly document emerging details as they continue to receive information from the community.
He added that once the report is finalized and sufficient evidence is collected, police may escalate the matter into a full criminal investigation.
“At this stage, we are waiting for the doctor’s report. If there is enough credible and reliable information indicating foul play, police will not hesitate to launch a criminal investigation,” he said.
Police are urging members of the public with relevant information to cooperate with police as investigations continue.
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