18 Oct 2012

Solomons police on hunt for Geza gunman

5:22 am on 18 October 2012

Police in Solomon Islands are still looking for a man believed to have fired gunshots at a logging company employee in north east Guadalcanal over the weekend.

The deputy commissioner of operations says the alleged gunman is aged between 20 and 30 and fled to the bush after the Sunday shooting near Geza.

Nathaniel Mosese says an Asian logger received hospital treatment but was discharged the same day.

He says the incident is thought to be the result of a dispute between two brothers over land that has been licensed to a Malaysian logging firm.

"The logger was in a vehicle when he fired the shot, it went through the glass of the vehicle and just grazed his forehead. We don't know whether he was firing at the logger or the vehicle or...obviously his brother was not within the area at that time so he must have just been showing his frustration on the logging company."

Nathaniel Mosese says the local community have been working with police, who are hoping to arrest the man soon.