FIVE men alleged to have involved in the Auki BSP robbery were refused bail yesterday.

This is due to the fact that there is a high risk of absconding if the accused were given the privilege for bail.

Principal Magistrate Fatimah Taeburi made the ruling yesterday in the Honiara Magistrate court.

She also said the reasons provided in the bail did not convince the court and also there is strong prosecution regarding the case.

Therefore she adjourned the case for February 15 for pre-trial conference and ordered that all PTC documents are to be filed to the court on February 14.

The men – John Kiki, Nelson Ausolo, Solomon Wadily, Patrick Talo and Peter Kafa Eto – are charged with robbing the BSP branch in Auki, Malaita, on November 27, 2015.

The charge said they were armed with dangerous weapons.

One of them, Ausolo, had a gun and fired a shot while standing outside the bank as lookout, the court was told, while other accused stayed in the getaway car.

Two others, Talo and a man went into the bank and filled up bags with about SI$200,000 and US$10,000, the court heard.

The prosecution said that another shot was fired before the accused left the bank.