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Judge will hear jury trial
Judge conducts Eagle pre-hearing
Judge will hear jury trial
Tue
5 Jun
Justice Hugh Williams is scheduled to arrive on Rarotonga June 17 to preside over a two-week-long session of the criminal and civil court.
On his first day Justice Williams will hear a jury trial in relation to money laundering charges brought against Christopher and Akisi Mussell, who are represented by lawyer Tony Manarangi. The trial is expected to last three days.
On Thursday, June 21, he is set to give timetabling orders in three matters – one between Cook Islands Superannuation and Arorangi Timberland, one between John Tini and Paul Allsworth (and Cook Islands Investment Corporation), and one between Taakoka Villas and Travis Moore.
A number of criminal sentencing matters are set down for Friday.
One involves defendant Teuariki Maka, who faces four charges of burglary, two of unlawful taking, four of contempt of court and a single charge of theft. Lawyer Charles Petero is representing him.
The next two involve cannabis charges laid against defendants Anania Urirau and Ngametua Kimiia.
Koro Tangaroa will be sentenced on eight burglary charges, and Christopher Castillo on a single charge of careless driving causing death (laid after an incident in which Pauline Atera was fatally struck by a car last year).
That afternoon, Justice Williams is scheduled to hear an appeal in relation to a drink driving charge brought against immigration director Kave Ringi.
Subsequently the judge will hear three additional appeals.
Later in the week, he will hear a number of civil cases, parole board cases and divorce petitions.
Stand-by cases – those which have yet to make the timetable – include a matter between Yuh Yow Marine and Northern Cook Islands Fishing and between Pacific Expedition and the Ministry of Transport.
Justice Williams departs on Saturday, June 30.
The next judge scheduled to visit the Cook Islands is Colin Doherty, who was in Rarotonga last week to hear interim applications in relation to the Operation Eagle trials. He will preside over court in July.
Judge conducts Eagle pre-hearing
Fri
1 Jun
Justice Colin Doherty has this week heard interlocutory applications in relation to three Operation Eagle defendants, but has reserved his decision to this weekend.
Justice Doherty arrived in the Cook Islands last Sunday, and starting Tuesday heard applications concerning evidence submitted against defendants Giovanni Marsters, Inano Matapo and Samuel Tangaroa.
Interlocutory applications represent the intermediate stage between the commencement and termination of a cause of action, which serve to provide a temporary or provisional decision on an issue. As such, the decision Doherty issues this weekend will be merely the next step in a process that will culminate in a spate of judge-and-jury trials likely to proceed in July.
Chief Justice Tom Weston earlier this year made timetabling orders in relation to applications submitted by counsel for Marsters, Matapo and Tangaroa. He advised the court that Justice Doherty would be making a quick trip to the Cook Islands ahead of July so as to hear some of the interlocutory applications.
At the time lawyers engaged in Operation Eagle indicated they would be challenging some of the charges laid against their clients, noting in particular that they took issue with the involvement of an undercover constable in last year’s heavily-publicised drug raids.
Three separate Operation Eagle trials are scheduled for July. The trial involving Marsters, Inano Matapo and Tangaroa – who are facing drug and corruption charges – is likely to take two weeks. The second will involve Mark Franklin, Dina Matapo, Mere King and Riki Carlson, and should take two weeks, and the third will involve Scott Arlander and is likely to span one week.
Justice Doherty leaves Rarotonga today, but returns in July.
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