Soaki family considers appeal of Sae verdict
Sir Frederick Soaki, pictured here in 1992, was murdered in Auki in 2003.
The immediate and extended family members of the late Sir Frederick Soaki were shocked and disappointed by the High Court verdict on the death of their relative.
Former police officer Edmond Sae stood trial in the High Court of Solomon Islands for the murder of the late Sir Frederick but was acquitted of the crime last Wednesday.
The family issued a statement on Sunday that said they had been waiting 14 years for justice in the assassination of their late relative who was gunned down at the Auki Motel in Malaita Province on February 10, 2003.
Wife of the late Sir Frederick, Ethel Maesiufia Soaki, broke down in tears outside of the High Court after the ruling last week.
As the family struggles to come to terms with the verdict, they are considering seeking legal counsel from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to appeal the High Court decision through the judicial process.
Mr Soaki said he believes justice will be served on the person responsible for the death of his father in due course.
Although Sae was not found guilty of Sir Frederick’s murder, he was convicted of manslaughter for another death two months later in 2003 and sentenced to 20 years in prison.