Government lifts stop-notice on Miss Pacific pageant judges allowing them to return home
BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
The ‘Stop Notice’ issued by the Solomon Islands authorities restricting judges of the recent Miss Pacific Islands Pageant (MPIP) event from leaving the country was lifted yesterday.
A statement from the Government communication unit yesterday said authorities issued a Stop Notice following investigations into alleged fraudulent activities during the crowing of the Miss Pacific on Saturday, February 8.
The statement said that during the initial stages of the “Stop Notice”, authorities including the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) commenced investigations and collected statements from relevant individuals.
The statement further adds that upon collecting statements by relevant persons, the Stop Notice was withdrawn at 12noon (12/02/25) and persons affected by the Stop Notice were allowed to depart Solomon Islands.
The statement said that despite the withdrawal of the Stop Notice, the investigations are continuing and formal charges will be made upon determination of the facts presented through the investigations.
The GCU further said that Authorities in American Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu will be notified of any requests by the Solomon Islands Government through Mutual Assistance Requests to provide further information and or actions to take.
The statement, individuals found to violated the Solomon Islands laws will be dealt with under relevant national laws and if those persons are already outside of jurisdiction, the Government of Solomon Islands will also be issuing Mutual Assistance Requests by the relevant laws.
The statement said that the Solomon Islands Authorities are grateful for the cooperation of all those who assisted in the investigations.
The GCU said that the Minister of Home Affairs instructed the Immigration Division to impose the “Stop Notice on all Judges of the MPIP on Sunday 9th February after receiving several complaints and allegations of fraud before the determination of Miss Samoa as the new Miss Pacific.
The GCU statement said that the allegations were deemed serious against the relevant laws of Solomon Islands and as a result, all judges of the Miss Pacific Islands Pageant (“MPIP”) were restricted from departing Solomon Islands until the issue was resolved.
The Government of Solomon Islands must be satisfied that such events were not marred by allegations of fraud and that the results were credible and obtained through transparent processes according to the statement.
The statement further said that a “Stop Notice” was subsequently issued for all the judges officiating in the MPIP. The “Stop Notice” was issued under section 89(1)(iv) of the Immigration Act 2012.
However, the GCU statement said that at the time of issuing the Stop Notice two judges namely, Mr Pakop Sovo (PNG National) and Ms Ma’ata Mo’ungaloa Tupou (Tongan National) had already departed Solomon Islands.
The statement said that Mr Jerry James Sopoi Tulagi (Samoan National), Ms Jane Kanas (Ni-Vanuatu) and Ms Jedidah Korinihona (Solomon Islander residing in Philippines) were the only judges who are currently in Honiara. The current Stop Notice was also applicable to the Solomon Islanders who were also appointed as Scrutineers.
According to GCU the “Stop Notice” only restricts the judges or relevant persons from departing Solomon Islands, but were not detained and are given the freedom to move around Honiara city.
It further said that the Stop Notice was necessary to ensure that all judges were present to provide information or assistance in the investigation to resolve the issue of whether fraud was involved in the final results of the MPIP. All judges including the Scrutineers and organizers were asked to provide statements.
Jerry Brunt, a lawyer and hotelier, who was the head judge of the 2025 Miss Pacific Islands Pag-eant (MPIP) which ended on Saturday night, was prevented from leaving the country on Monday following a stop notice reportedly issued by the Prime Minister’s office against him.
Another judge, reportedly from Vanuatu, was also prevented to leave. Both were housed in a residence in Honiara.
Mr Brunt became the centre of controversy amid allegations on social media that he tampered with the results of the MPIP’s crowning night on Saturday.
Brunt told ABC Pacific on Monday that he has not done anything wrong and says authorities have not provided a reason for his hold up.
Pamela Naesol, the CEO of the Institute of Solomon Islands Accountants (ISIA), and who was a scrutineer at the crowning night, told In-depth Solomons on Monday that no tampering of re-sults took place.
The matter escalated when the Samoan Government, in a press statement on Tuesday, requested official information from the Solomon Islands Attorney General’s Office regarding Brunt’s hold up.
Speaking to Island Sun on Tuesday, Solomon Islands’ ambassador to the Human Rights Measure-ment Initiative (HRMI) and member of the Pacific Human Rights Defenders Network, Ben Bilua, said government has erred by interfering in an institution’s internal matter and had acted undemocratically by detaining persons on matters which had no bearing on the governance nor national security of Solomon Islands.
Meanwhile, the Solomons government had donated $2million towards the event which made it the major sponsor.
Miss Samoa was crowned the new Miss Pacific Islands.
For feedback, contact: [email protected]
