Lusibaea might lose Parliament Seat.

Andrew Fanasia Jr

North Malaita MP and Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources, Jimmy Lusibaea might loses his parliament seat yesterday after Presiding Judge, Justice David Cameron sentence him to 2 years and 9 months imprisonment.

Justice Cameron said Lusibaea’s 2 years and nine months is dim to commence on the 11th of March 2010.

The North Malaita MP was sentence following his guilty plea to one count of unlawful wounding (2 years) and one count of assaulting Police Officer in execution of his duty (9 months).

According to the evidence in the High Court, Justice Cameron said Mr. Robert Solo; a police officer was shot by Lusibaea on both knees when he was beaten and was unconscious and for assaulting Officer Sam Manakeha on the head with the butt of the pistol, when he was on duty at that time.

This was during the height of the civil unrest period on September 1, 2000 at the National Referral Hospital.

Meanwhile, Justice Cameron said the element of Lusibaea’s aggravating factor has overweight the mitigation factors presented in the court.

He said Lusibaea has carried a weapon (pistol) in the NRH area and shoot the victim in both knees, “Solo was helpless when Lusibaea shot him in the X-ray room.”

Justice Cameron added that Lusibaea did not respect the NRH at that time he committed the offence, and also he brought with him some of the members of the Malaita Eagle Force in the NRH premises.

“Lusibaea has also demand the police officer on duty, Manakeha and hit his head with the butt of his pistol,” Justice Cameron said.

Justice Cameron affirmed in court that Lusibaea’s mitigation factors did not justify the seriousness of the offence he committed.

Meanwhile, the courts decisions did not go well with his supporters from his constitution which resulted in Honiara being ‘stand still’

However, it is likely that Lusibaea will make an appeal against the decision to the court of appeal within the given 30 days.

This was done to protect his parliament seat if he wins the appeal in the court of appeal.