The trial of former Supreme Commander of the Eagle Force, Jimmy Rasta, continued at the High Court with Sergeant Michael Manatovua giving evidence in a packed court room.
Sgt Manatovua is a witness to an incident on the 10th of May 2006 at the Development Bank of Solomon Islands (DBSI) branch in China Town.He recalled that he saw three men running out of the bank and took off in a car. During the incident Sgt Manatovua said he was with three other officers standing in the China Town Plaza.
He told the court that after the car had left one of his officers went into the bank and found Mr. Moses Garu, the branch bank manager, standing in the bank bleeding to death. "When I went in, I saw the victim covered with blood standing there...he nearly fell down because of his injuries," he added.
He then told the court at that point in time, he could only see a cut on his right jaw and a very bad cut on his right shoulder, "I couldn't see more because he was covered with blood when we got in".
Sgt Manatovua said that seeing the physical state of the victim, they took him immediately to the National Referral Hospital.
Sgt Manatovua said that the only person he could identify, among the escaped three men, was Mr. Alick Fefele. Asked how he recognized Mr. Fefele, Sgt Manatovua replied that "because they were once very good friends."
The trial continues.