BY ALFRED SASAKO

GULATATA’E Shipping Enterprises Ltd was sent three reminder notices before it was removed from the Company Haus register last September, it was revealed yesterday.

“It’s the normal practice. We just don’t walk in and pull the plug off straightaway,” a spokesman for Company Haus, the government’s custodian of company registrations and records, told Island Sun yesterday.

The reminder notices are intended to alert companies to the fact that unless they fulfil certain requirements, their registration would be removed.

“That’s what happened to Gulatata’e Shipping Enterprises Ltd. They never responded to all three reminder notices, sent electronically. As a result, it was removed from the register,” the official said.

Company spokesman John Kennedy Taufunu told Island Sun a lengthy explanation that as far as he knew the outstanding fees were paid shortly after it was removed from the Company Haus register.

Documents show the company was removed on September 1, 2017, after it failed to file its annual return in February, its annual filing month.

According to extracts from Company Haus, John Kennedy Taufunu is the contact person for the company’s affairs. Although the company is listed as a private local company, Mr Taufunu uses an email address emanating from the Office of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The company’s address is located at the Town Ground Plaza in Honiara.

Meanwhile Mr Taufunu yesterday afternoon issued an explanatory note acknowledging the delays. He also claimed the outstanding dues were paid last September. He did not provide any proof confirming payment.

“Yes, Gulatatae is deregistered for not filing its annual return for 2016/2017. The company was registered in April 2016 but operated around October 2016. The company is newly established and recruitment of office employees commences around September 2016 until April 2017.

“The delay in recruiting suitable persons for important positions within the company has an impact on the filing of the annual return. Even if three notices were given it depends on the preparation of the annual returns. The company then finally sorted the issue after September 2017 for payment was made to IRD thereafter.

“In terms of ownership, we believe with clear mind that Gulatatae is owned by the Constituency of East Kwaio regardless of the shareholding arrangement. The holding of the shares whether it is 20 percent or 40 percent is just an administrative matter to facilitate the process and the requirement for registration as required by the shipping grant policy,” Mr Taufunu said.

“I think it depends on who holds the shares. If they want to be greedy with the shares then that is not good. But for those that we hold the shares, we feel that it belongs to the East Kwaio Constituency because we do not claim any dividend from the shares and as long as the company exists we will not do it.

“The truth of the matter is – yes Gulatatae is being de-registered because the company has delayed in filling its Annual return. There are 100s of companies that are de-registered from the company Haus. Why pick on Gulatatae bro, a constituency company that tries to assist our good people of East Kwaio. It is good you raise the issue but as (the) late John Garo said, remember if you hit a man by a sword, you will die by the sword.

“If this is politically motivated then let’s put it to rest and the management to ensure that shareholding arrangement is amended to reflect the true ownership by the people of East Kwaio,” Mr Taufunu, from West Kwaio, said.

There was no response from the newly-established Solomon Islands Maritime Security Authority (SIMSA) when Island Sun approached it with questions relating to liability in the event of a natural disaster.

Earlier, a spokesman said given the registration status of the company, the LC Gulatata’e is not owned by anyone, not even its directors.

“Only when its registration as a business is restored that the ownership issue becomes relevant,” the spokesman told Island Sun this week.

BY ALFRED PAGEPITU

GIZO

THE Western provincial government is being blamed for the land issues facing Noro township.

Concerned members of public say the prevailing issue of illegal squatter settlements is a result of unlawful allocations of land made by the provincial government since 2011.

There are claims that nepotism has been involved in decisions to allocate land.

Concerned members of public are calling on the provincial government to solve this issue before it leads to more serious developments.

It is understood that MPA Billy Veo, of ward 25 in Noro, is the provincial minister for lands and physical planning.

Island Sun has been unsuccessful in reaching him for comments. However, the paper is striving to get his comments.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

PRINCIPAL Magistrate Jim Seuika has committed the case against the accused, Leonard Mokuniahaka, to the High Court to stand trial.

This is after prosecution submitted preliminary inquiry papers to court by way of short form preliminary inquiry.

The accused pleaded not guilty to one count of murder.

This is in relation to the murder incident which occurred in Makira Ulawa province on October 24, 2017.

Mr Seuika said after looking through all the documents submitted by prosecution to the court, the court decides that prosecution has enough evidence on the case and commits the matter to the High Court.

Seuika also made directions that the accused will be called in the High Court on his next appearance.

Office of the Director Public Prosecution appears for the crown on the matter.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE court will decide on whether or not the Member of Parliament for Baegu/Asifola Constituency David Tome has a case or no case to answer on the allegations against him.

Yesterday, defence lawyer Michael Pitakaka made a submission of no case to answer on behalf of Mr Tome after prosecution closed their case.

The defence in their submission said that Tome has no case to answer as there is not enough evidence to prove him guilty of the allegations against him.

But in response, prosecution submitted that the accused has a case to answer in regards to the allegations he faced.

The ruling will be made today in the Honiara Magistrate Court.

This is the case against David Tome who was alleged to have involved in converted funds in relation to incidents which occurred in 2011.

The prosecution alleged that in 2011 the MP obtained public funds for a constituency project; however those funds were not used as intended and was converted for his own use.

The MP is charged with fourteen (14) counts of Conversion under Section 278(1) (c) (i) of the Penal Code, involving funds totalling $67,170.

The minister was on $2000 cash bail and will appear in court faithfully till his case completed.

Ishmael Kekou of the Office of the Director Public Prosecution appears for the crown on this case.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Auki

OUTSTANDING payment for contactors of the 2012 Festival of Pacific Arts (FOPA) hosted in Solomon Islands are still being sought after by local contractors, seven years on.

The issue is being resurrected since Solomon Islands is bound to host another similar event, the Melanesian Arts Festival, in about two months’ time.

Local contractors from FOPA 2012, who are still crying to the government for their pay, question how the government is audacious enough to plan to host another regional festival while it still has not settled debts from the last one.

A person who was contracted to provide catering service for one of the FOPA satellite venues, Mr Jessy Tonisi, says they have cried and suffered for eight years – waiting on a government that has chosen to ignore them.

“In pursuing the issue we go as far as reaching the court where the court ordered the government for the payment.

“However, later, the government issued that we must provide some required documents before the payment which is another tactic used to continue delay or not making the payment,” Tonisi said.

He said government was merely making up excuses in asking for documents, which he says was unnecessary because every contractor was documented and recorded before work for FOPA 2012 began.

He reiterates the call on the government through the ministry of culture and tourism to pay the outstanding payments owed to the contractors.

BY GEORGE MANFORD

AUKI

PEOPLE who had subscribed for the Sky Pacific television service in Auki are calling on Our Telekom to refund their expenses.

The Sky Pacific service had been put out in 1999. Our Telekom had established a lease with the media giant in the ‘90s.

A Mr Willie Utu, who had been a subscriber, says, “Our Telekom Company should refund our expenses because we have paid for those services including the television disc which cost us $6,000.

“I bought my new Sky Pacific disc and after few months I heard that the service has been put out and no longer operate in the country.

“The television service has been put out unnecessary with their unknown reason which affected us where we spent money for their services and facilities.

“We the Sky Pacific viewers call on Our Telekom to explain and clarify to us this issue and if possible just refund our money.

“We are looking forward for Our Telekom to consider this issue as we are the regularly customer where we really support the company through its development especially in Auki,” Utu said.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE former financial controller of the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services Stephen Jude Oto has been sentenced to three years in prison yesterday.

Mr Oto was charged with 11 counts of official corruption and he pleaded guilty to all 11 counts.

Mr Oto commited the offences when he was the FC of the said Ministry.

Principal Magistrate Fatimah Taeburi in sentencing the accused said that there is indeed a need for specific and general deterrence on the case.

She said that Oto and other like-minded offenders must appreciate that corrupt practices are not tolerated in all levels of our society in both the public service and the private sector.

Ms Taeburi said clearly Mr Oto’s official position carries high responsibilities and obligations and with such responsibilities come high expectations, public trust and confidence.

“The scenario is even more serious given that he is a public officer within the Ministry of Police. This is a government department that is supposed to support law enforcement agencies to maintain, preserve and enforce law and order in this country,” Taeburi said.

Taeburi said his actions have breached the trust and confidence that the public has placed on him as the financial controller.

“He has also brought the Ministry of Police in this country to disrepute,” Taeburi added.

Taeburi imposed the following sentences on the accused that for count 1, three years imprisonment, Count 2 three years, Count3 three years, Count 4 two years, Count 5 six months, Count 6 three years, Count 7 three years, Count 8 two years, Count 9 three years Count 10 six month and Count 11 three years.

And she ordered that the sentences for count 1 to 5 since it was committed in the same year the sentences are to be served concurrently and the total sentence is therefore three years imprisonment.

While for counts 6- 11 it was also committed in the same year and Taeburi ordered to serve concurrently but consecutively to the total sentence for counts 1 to 5.

Therefore the total sentence for the accused is six years imprisonment.

However she further orders that after considering the principle of totality, in the court’s view the total sentence of six years imprisonment is manifestly excessive in the circumstances.

“I therefore impose a sentence of three years imprisonment,” Taeburi said.

She also said that there is no need to impose any orders for recovery.

The essence of the offence of official corruption is the abuse of a public office for personal gain, Taeburi said.

“Mr Oto in this case did not steal, or misappropriate, or convert any public money for his own use, he did deliver the services to the public in consideration for the payments that he received from the Ministry. The criminality of his conducts is that he used his public office and position to his own advantage and to derive benefits for himself. That is the heart of the offence of the official corruption.

“I therefore do not see any need to make any orders for recovery,” Taeburi adds.