Palau Legal News: Sealand Restaurant Turtle Possession Conviction; New AISP & Knife Assault
Local ordered to pay fine after pleading guilty to taking endangered turtle species
WRITTEN BY JOSE RODRIGUEZ T. SENASE
THURSDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 2015 14:52
Arraignment of Chinese co-accused continues
A local, who was earlier implicated together with a Chinese national in the taking of an endangered turtle specie, was sentenced by the Court after a plea agreement with government lawyers. Supreme Court Associate Justice Kathleen Salii, in a decision handed down on August 31, 2015, ordered Patrick Kochi to pay a fine of $250 and the forfeiture of the $30 bail bond earlier posted by the Defendant. Salii also ordered that Kochi be placed on supervised probation for the purpose of ensuring payment on a schedule to be determined by the Probation Office.
Kochi was implicated and charged together with a Chinese national named Liandong Jia. Jia was charged with three counts of Possession of Undersized mangrove Crabs, Possession of Undersized Coconut Crabs, and Possession of Undersized Rock Lobsters. The filing of the case stemmed from a police operation at the Sealand Restaurant last March 18, 2015. The police was responding to a report that there was an undersized turtle in the said establishment. According to the Affidavit of Police Officer Benjamin Masters, they entered the restaurant and saw that there were live coconut and mangrove crabs inside a display. Right next to it was a white container that had a small turtle. Kochi was later identified as the fishermen who sold the turtle to Jia. On March 24, 2015, Kochi agreed to provide a statement at the Office of Division of Fish and Wildlife. He admitted that he caught the turtle and sold it to Jia for $40. Jia was the manager of Sealand Restaurant. He originally came from Qinghai, People’s Republic of China (PRC).
The World Conservation Union classifies the Hawksbill as critically endangered. Palau national laws completely prohibit any hunting, taking or any other method of harvesting of this species of turtle since December 2010.
The arraignment of Jia is continuing. He was summoned to appear in court on Sept. 14, 2015.
Assistant Attorney General Poseci Lalabalavu represents the Republic in the case. Assistant Public Defender Danail Mizinov is counsel for Kochi and Jia.
http://islandtimes.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1890%3Alocal-ordered-to-pay-fine-after-pleading-guilty-to-taking-endangered-turtle-specie&catid=8%3Alatest-news&Itemid=1
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New Assistant ISP
WRITTEN BY ADMINISTRATOR
THURSDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 2015 14:38
Interim Special Prosecutor, Robert C. Lee, announces the hiring of Melissa Simms as Assistant Interim Special Prosecutor. The hiring of an Assistant Special Prosecutor is germane to the continued coverage of the office during time periods that the Interim Special Prosecutor is off island or otherwise away from the office, Ms. Simms is from Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from Mercer University School of Law in 2000. She obtained an LL.M. in International Law from London Metropolitan University in 2005.
After spending many years as a criminal prosecutor in her home state of Georgia, Ms. Simms relocated to Saipan where she spent two years as an Assistant Attorney General and Asylum Judge. Ms. Simms is looking forward to life in Palau, and to doing the job the Republic has hired her to do.
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[Man Attacked by Mentally-ill Person]
A 65-year old man was attacked without provocation by a mentally ill man with a 3-inch knife at a parking lot of his office in Medalaii last Tuesday afternoon as he was about to leave in his car. Moses Uludong, the publisher of this newspaper said he was about to enter his car to go to court when the man came from behind shouting incoherently and tried to stab in with a small knife. When Uludong turned around, he saw the man with a raised hand holding the knife.
As he tried to wave the knife off, he was cut on the left side of his head that required an inch-long stitch and scratches to his left cheek and shoulder. A scuffle ensued as the man tried to stab Uludong three more times and then ran to the street toward the court house as he was being chased.
The attacker was Tino Sbal in his 50’s, one of the several known mentally sick persons who roam the streets of Koror and are regular clients of the Behavioral Health and detainees of Koror Jail. According to Police sources, Uludong is the third knife victim of Sbal whose second victim was a young man whose abdomen and intestine were cut by Sbal with a much longer knife and had to be flown to Philippines for treatment. Tino, residing in Ngesoal and who is often seen walking in the streets of Koror without shirt, is known to the victim as his mother resides with the family of the victim.
Tia Belau News. Sep 17, 2015.
WRITTEN BY JOSE RODRIGUEZ T. SENASE
THURSDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 2015 14:52
Arraignment of Chinese co-accused continues
A local, who was earlier implicated together with a Chinese national in the taking of an endangered turtle specie, was sentenced by the Court after a plea agreement with government lawyers. Supreme Court Associate Justice Kathleen Salii, in a decision handed down on August 31, 2015, ordered Patrick Kochi to pay a fine of $250 and the forfeiture of the $30 bail bond earlier posted by the Defendant. Salii also ordered that Kochi be placed on supervised probation for the purpose of ensuring payment on a schedule to be determined by the Probation Office.
Kochi was implicated and charged together with a Chinese national named Liandong Jia. Jia was charged with three counts of Possession of Undersized mangrove Crabs, Possession of Undersized Coconut Crabs, and Possession of Undersized Rock Lobsters. The filing of the case stemmed from a police operation at the Sealand Restaurant last March 18, 2015. The police was responding to a report that there was an undersized turtle in the said establishment. According to the Affidavit of Police Officer Benjamin Masters, they entered the restaurant and saw that there were live coconut and mangrove crabs inside a display. Right next to it was a white container that had a small turtle. Kochi was later identified as the fishermen who sold the turtle to Jia. On March 24, 2015, Kochi agreed to provide a statement at the Office of Division of Fish and Wildlife. He admitted that he caught the turtle and sold it to Jia for $40. Jia was the manager of Sealand Restaurant. He originally came from Qinghai, People’s Republic of China (PRC).
The World Conservation Union classifies the Hawksbill as critically endangered. Palau national laws completely prohibit any hunting, taking or any other method of harvesting of this species of turtle since December 2010.
The arraignment of Jia is continuing. He was summoned to appear in court on Sept. 14, 2015.
Assistant Attorney General Poseci Lalabalavu represents the Republic in the case. Assistant Public Defender Danail Mizinov is counsel for Kochi and Jia.
http://islandtimes.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1890%3Alocal-ordered-to-pay-fine-after-pleading-guilty-to-taking-endangered-turtle-specie&catid=8%3Alatest-news&Itemid=1
---------------------------------------------------------
New Assistant ISP
WRITTEN BY ADMINISTRATOR
THURSDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 2015 14:38
Interim Special Prosecutor, Robert C. Lee, announces the hiring of Melissa Simms as Assistant Interim Special Prosecutor. The hiring of an Assistant Special Prosecutor is germane to the continued coverage of the office during time periods that the Interim Special Prosecutor is off island or otherwise away from the office, Ms. Simms is from Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from Mercer University School of Law in 2000. She obtained an LL.M. in International Law from London Metropolitan University in 2005.
After spending many years as a criminal prosecutor in her home state of Georgia, Ms. Simms relocated to Saipan where she spent two years as an Assistant Attorney General and Asylum Judge. Ms. Simms is looking forward to life in Palau, and to doing the job the Republic has hired her to do.
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[Man Attacked by Mentally-ill Person]
A 65-year old man was attacked without provocation by a mentally ill man with a 3-inch knife at a parking lot of his office in Medalaii last Tuesday afternoon as he was about to leave in his car. Moses Uludong, the publisher of this newspaper said he was about to enter his car to go to court when the man came from behind shouting incoherently and tried to stab in with a small knife. When Uludong turned around, he saw the man with a raised hand holding the knife.
As he tried to wave the knife off, he was cut on the left side of his head that required an inch-long stitch and scratches to his left cheek and shoulder. A scuffle ensued as the man tried to stab Uludong three more times and then ran to the street toward the court house as he was being chased.
The attacker was Tino Sbal in his 50’s, one of the several known mentally sick persons who roam the streets of Koror and are regular clients of the Behavioral Health and detainees of Koror Jail. According to Police sources, Uludong is the third knife victim of Sbal whose second victim was a young man whose abdomen and intestine were cut by Sbal with a much longer knife and had to be flown to Philippines for treatment. Tino, residing in Ngesoal and who is often seen walking in the streets of Koror without shirt, is known to the victim as his mother resides with the family of the victim.
Tia Belau News. Sep 17, 2015.