HONIARA, Solomon Islands (18 Mar 2005) -- Former Solomon Islands warlord Harold Keke and two other men were sentenced to life in prison for the 2002 murder of a Catholic priest. Australia, whose forces were instrumental in getting Keke and his men to surrender in August 2003, hailed the verdict as a victory for multinational efforts to end years of ethnic unrest in the Pacific nation. Keke 34, Ronnie Cawa, 24, and Francis Lela, 22, were convicted Friday by the High Court in the Solomons capital Honiara for murdering Father Augustine Geve on a remote beach in August 2002. All three had pleaded not guilty. The trial was the first of many relating to crimes committed during five years of civil unrest and lawlessness on the Solomon Islands which ended with the arrival of an Australian-led intervention force in July 2003. "The guilty verdict in the trial of Harold Keke and his associates is a significant achievement for Solomon Islands," Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Justice Minister Chris Ellison said in joint a statement. "It demonstrates the Solomon Islands justice system is again able effectively to uphold and enforce the laws of the country. "The verdict also symbolises that no person in Solomon Islands is above the law and that all defendants will receive a fair trial." Keke was once among the most feared militia leaders in the country and the slain priest was the member of parliament for his home Weathercoast region on the main island of Guadalcanal. | | Harold Keke jailed for life During his trial in the capital Honiara, Keke blamed the government for the communal killings which rocked the nation until the Australian-led force arrived, saying the authorities did little to stop attacks on Guadacanal natives by migrants from other ilsands. Keke, Cawa and Lela were members of the Guadalcanal Liberation Front which played a leading role in the unrest that pitted indigenous people on Guadalcanal against Malaitans. Australian and Solomons officials have worked together to strengthen and improve the country's justice system since the 2,200-strong intervention force of police and soldiers arrived. "The outcome of this trial will no doubt be well received in Solomon Islands, but RAMSI (Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands) and the Solomon Islands government are aware much work remains to be done, particularly in managing the backlog of High Court cases," Downer and Ellison said. |
