Acting Police Commissioner, Peter Marshall, in a press conference this morning, said that they have reasons to believe that Mr. Stanley Gitoa may have been involved in a robbery case in GPPOL. Stanley Gitoa escaped late last year as he was being escorted to Honiara, on his way to the courts.

"There have been spates of violent robberies near Tetere, one involved the taking of a vehicle belonging to the Guadalcanal Plains Plantation Oil Limited [GPPOL] the vehicle was eventually located but Gitoa was not there." Mr. Marshall said.

He said Gitoa is becoming an increasing menace around Tetere, however, he warns residents not to approach him as he has had a history of extreme violence. "Some of his crimes include robbery, alleged rape, threatening to kill and a range of other serious matters," said Mr. Marshall.

"All we want is assistance in relation to where he might be, we will put any number of police into that area if need be."

Mr Marshall urged the people of East Guadalcanal, who might know his whereabouts, to contact Police as it is just "getting out of hand the things he gets up to."

"We will arrest him if people in the community help us find him, but I am confident that it is just a matter of time before he is caught and put back to court and remanded at Rove Prison," Mr. Marshall said.