4 Suspects Detained

A man in his mid–20s has reportedly been beaten and later pronounced dead in hospital following an alleged attack on him that started at the War Horse Saloon.

The death came as family and War Horse Saloon staff were still mourning for their colleague, Alice Karis, who was allegedly killed as a result of domestic violence.

Daily Post was told that the deceased, Robson Mariki, from Paama, allegedly punched his girlfriend while she was on duty but the staff and security personnel confronted him for his actions then he was allegedly punched and kicked in the head.

Family and friends have paid tribute to the ‘loving church member’ of Beverly Hills who died in hospital after the Police officers took him there at around 2.30am on Saturday.

Four men whose names have been withheld were apprehended and charged in connection to the alleged killing. Some or all of them were said to be staff or security guards at the Saloon bar/nightclub.

Murder charges have reportedly been laid and the men were remanded in custody yesterday pending the investigation of their case.

It was alleged that Mr Mariki received a call on Friday night from his girlfriend to go and pick her up at work.

Police would not confirm how Mr Mariki was killed but confirmed that they received an anonymous call asking their assistance to remove a young man who was assaulting his girlfriend, a waitress in the Saloon bar.

Police said that when they reached War Horse Saloon they saw Mariki in the rear of a truck that was parked next to the building.

The officers said that Mariki was lying face down in the rear of the truck loaded with rubbish, and that he was already badly beaten.

They said that a big security guard told them that he assaulted Mariki because they’d had enough with the boyfriends causing female staff trouble while on duty.

A week ago, Alice Karis, a staff member, was killed after working hours.

Police said they were told that the deceased’s action of punching his girlfriend inside the bar sparked tensions before the security officers went after him.

Police alleged that Mariki escaped the group, but security staff went back and took a truck and hunted him down near the turnoff to Peter Pan School in Nambatu and beat him there.

They alleged that the deceased was thrown into the back of the truck and taken back to War Horse Saloon before calling for police assistance.

Police also said that Mariki sustained heavy injuries in his forehead as well as wounds to his body.

Police confirmed that when the deceased was rushed to VCH, he was still breathing but drew his final breath minutes after reaching the Emergency.

He was then pronounced dead.

Police said that the girlfriend is living at Bladiniere Estate but had been taken to the Station for her own safety.

Mariki’s close friends told Daily Post that the deceased called his father who is residing at Epau on Friday to send him some yam on Saturday morning.

The father dug the yams and sent them but only an hour later heard the news that his son died.

Mariki was residing in Beverly Hills and worked at Telsat Broadband.

His body is still at the morgue awaiting an autopsy.

No senior person in Saloon could be reached for comment.

However, in a post on their Facebook page—which was subsequently shut down—they wrote, “Manson was taken away safely into Police custody from the Warhorse Saloon and the Warhorse Security Officers were not involved in any incidents with Manson.

“The events that happened after Manson was in police custody will be investigated by the police.”

This incident raises the number of reported deaths by violence to three in just two weeks in the country– Peau on Tanna, Alice Karis, and now Mariki.

Three years ago, Efate’s Vaturisu Council of Chiefs had called for a ‘halt’ of human killing on Efate Soil.

Meanwhile, Paama MP William Fred Tasso, representing the family of the deceased, has made a public call for a stop to the killings.

He said that there have been two deaths recorded within a week and appealed for the government through the Ministry of Internal Affairs to take the matter seriously.

MP Tasso urged the government to placed tougher regulations to protect the citizen of Vanuatu working in those environments to ensure safety is paramount in workplaces.

He called on the government to start taking disciplinary action by removing the license of the security companies whose staff are involving in the killings in Port Vila.

He said that security companies need to be aware that their job is to protect the civilians and the people who are in need, but not to assault them.

Tasso said that Vanuatu was twice ranked happiest place on earth but with the ongoing killing activities, it may negatively impact on the tourism industry.