Update: 3:00PM TWO teenagers were taken in by Solomon Islands Police and questioned in connection with the burning of five houses at two separate villages in the Aola area of Guadalcanal Province last Sunday.

One of the suspects has been questioned and released but the other is continuing to assist Police with their investigations.

Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Provincial Police Commander, Guadalcanal Province, Nixon Manetoga said one 17-year-old male suspect was arrested by Aola Police last Monday (October 16) at Gobua Village in connection with the burning of one copra house following a disagreement with his uncle over a cocoa plantation.

He said the other 17-year-old male suspect was arrested two days later following the burning of one dwelling house built of bush materials, one kitchen and two garden houses at Dalikoni Village also near Aola, following disagreement over non-payment of damage to his cocoa plantation by a logging company.

“Police want to call on our good people to sit down and discuss matters concerning their livelihoods in the communities instead of resorting to destruction of property, which would only escalate the situation,” PPC Manetoga said. 

“I call on chiefs and other community leaders to mediate in such disagreements and not to allow members of the communities to take the law into their own hands.”