Luganville: 100 hours’ community work for 45.34 g of cannabis at home
Seles Stephen Rokasia pleaded guilty after police searched his Chapuis home in Luganville on 6 March 2026 and found 45.34 g of cannabis for personal use. The Supreme Court at Luganville on 18 September 2026 ordered twelve months’ supervision with a drug programme and 100 hours of community work, and forfeited the drugs for destruction.
Seles Stephen Rokasia pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of cannabis and
accepted the prosecution summary when he was sentenced at Luganville on 18
September 2026.[1]
Police searched his house in the Chapuis area of Luganville on 6 March 2026 under
a warrant and found cannabis that tested positive, weighing 45.34 g in total.[1]He said he intended to keep it for personal use.[1]He had spent about a month
in custody from 7 March to 7 April 2026 before bail.[1]
Justice Dudley Aru treated him as a first offender from Makam village on North
Ambrym, employed as a builder.[1]Following submissions modelled on earlier
Vanuatu cannabis cases, the court sentenced him to twelve months’ supervision with
a condition that he attend a drug awareness and rehabilitation programme, plus 100
hours of community work.[1]The 45.34 g of cannabis was ordered forfeited and
destroyed within seven days.[1]
Case data
Every number and detail the sources state, with the sources that state it.
Police in Luganville found 135 g of marijuana in Bakon Etul's basket during a traffic stop on 22 May 2026. The Supreme Court at Luganville on 18 September 2026 jailed him for eight months immediately, treating him as a fourth-time offender despite his guilty plea.
Taho Bong was sentenced at Port Vila on 9 July 2026 to five months in prison, fully suspended for twelve months with fifty hours of community work, after pleading guilty to possessing 79.89 g of cannabis found when police broke up a disturbance on 25 December 2021.
Rota Tari pleaded guilty on 19 May 2026 to possessing 119 g of cannabis found when police searched her room at Blacksands on 25 September 2021. On 3 July 2026 Justice Josaia Naigulevu sentenced her to three months in prison, fully suspended for six months, after a long delay since the search.
Tino Johnas pleaded guilty to possessing 1.83 g of cannabis after a police search in Freshwota 4 in 2022. The Supreme Court sentenced him on 1 April 2026 to complete 50 hours of community work within 12 months.