BY CAROL-ANNE SULEGA

THE Bills and Legislation Committee (BLC) strongly recommends that an administrative mechanism be established to facilitate collaboration between the Ombudsman office and other integrity institutions to enhance resource and information sharing.

The traditional role of the Office of the Ombudsman is to investigate reports of maladministration.

Governmental power, administrative processes and decision making must be exercised with due care and any citizen that suspects that they have been treated unfairly by a government agency may lodge a complaint with the Ombudsman.

This is stated to be important in ensuring that powers of the government are not abused or used in a manner that is arbitrary and unfair on citizens.

The conduct of investigations by the Office of the Ombudsman may include, summoning of information from government agencies, entry into official premises to collect information or the collection of any document or item that may be useful in its investigations.

The Ombudsman may summon witnesses and the Ombudsman may refuse to investigate a complaint if it appears that the complaint is trivial, frivolous, or if the complaint has no sufficient personal interest or the complaint is more than 12 months old.

The Committee’s report states that where the finding warrant, the Office then makes recommendations on remedial action to the Office of the Prime Minister or to the concerned Ministry.

The BLC according to its report on the Ombudsman Bill that has already gone through passage states that they were informed that where its recommendations were not adhered to, the Office of the Ombudsman must report on the matter to Parliament.

The passed legislation seeks to provide further powers to the Office of the Ombudsman to enforce implementation of recommendations.

It was reiterated during hearings on the Bill (at the time), that strengthening the roles and functions of the Office is vital in enabling citizens to hold their government accountable.

This, the report added is fundamental in a democracy such as in Solomon Islands and the BLC affirmed this important decision intention.

BY ALFRED SASAKO

PROPERTY tycoon, Ian J Hosking Richards, is almost certain to be Solomon Islands’ next Honorary Consul in Sydney. In the event he does, he replaces a close friend Trevor Garland whose tenure was terminated about three years ago.

Sydneysider Richards is also almost certain to take over the oversight of the 10-bed scheme with St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney after Hospital authorities took the unprecedented steps in banning Sir Trevor from the hospital as well as making contacts with Solomon Islands’ patients there about two months ago. It has not been revealed why Sir Trevor Garland has been banned from the hospital.

Sir Trevor has had oversight responsibilities over the programme for more than 20 years.

Mr Richards is due to arrive in Honiara today in the company of Foreign Affairs Minister, Milner Tozaka MP, Solomon Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed yesterday.

Cabinet is due to consider a paper on Mr Richards’ formal appointments, which at this stage are subject to the concurrence of the Australian government.

Recommended by Sir Trevor for both positions – honorary consul and the oversight of the 10-bed arrangement – Mr Richards is said to be a close friend of the former honorary consul.

Given his involvement in the 10-bed arrangement, Richards has moved to set up a charitable organisation, called The Solomon Foundation. The directors of this company include Richards’ business partner Manogar Kuppusamy and another person named Cameron Holloway whose address is listed as being in Surry Hills, an inner Sydney suburb.

On the NSW Cardiology website it refers to an Associate Professor Cameron Holloway and states that “Cameron graduated from Monash University in Melbourne. He completed his physician training in both the UK and Australia and his cardiology training at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, prior to moving to the University of Oxford where he trained in advanced cardiac imaging.”

It is not known if this is the same Cameron Holloway listed as a director of The Solomon Foundation.

Sir Trevor Garland is not listed as a director of this company however his personal address of 54 Hyatts Road Oakhurst Sydney NSW Australia is listed as the principle place of business of The Solomon Foundation.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Dr Tenneth Dalipada and Dr Rooney Jagilly, attended the launch in Sydney more than a month ago. The Sydney launch was said to be attended by 212 guests, according to the list of attendees, obtained by Island Sun. It is not clear however whether all 212 guests, including four from Solomon Islands showed up.

Since then Mr Richards has printed a business card with the name, The Solomon Foundation, putting himself as the Chairman of the Charity. The card carries a Solomon Islands’ mobile number as well as Mr Richards’ mobile number in Australia.

At the time of the launch, it was said that the objective of The Solomon Foundation was to raise funds for Kilu’ufi Hospital on Malaita.

Malaita Premier Peter Ramohia denied any knowledge of the Foundation.

A newsletter produced by Mr Richards’ Rocket Property Group has now put a new spin on The Solomon Foundation. Writing in the December issue for 2017, Linda Lear, a member of the Rocket Property Group team, said of Mr Richards:

“On a personal note, Ian (Richards) has set up his charity The Solomon Foundation to help the sick poor from the Solomon Islands be flown to Australia and receive emergency medical treatment in Sydney. Ian looks after the daily needs of these patients while they are in Australia and it is his personal passion to grow the program to benefit more of the Solomon Island people.”

It is understood that Australia may not been keen on Mr Richards’ appointment.

Solomon Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed yesterday that Mr Richards is traveling with Foreign Minister Tozaka to Honiara today. It is not clear why Mr Richards is visiting Honiara as the government is yet to endorse his appointment.

One possible explanation is that he may be asked to appear before Caucus and Cabinet or both to convince the government why he is qualified to run the 10-bed programme at the St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney.

Mr Richards is the Chairman of the Rocket Property Group based in Sydney.

BY CAROL-ANNE SULEGA

THE Bills and Legislation Committee (BLC) has suggested that the Government consider amending the Constitution to set qualification, disqualification and eligibility standards for the appointment of an Ombudsman.

This is according to recommendations of the Committee’s report on the passed legislation.

The Office of the Ombudsman in Solomon Islands is established by the Constitution and is a public office governed by the Ombudsman (Further Provision) Act 1980.

The Ombudsman is appointed by the Governor General (GG) upon the advice of the Chairman of the Public Service Commission, the Chairman of the Judicial and Legal Service Commission and the Speaker of Parliament.

The report states that the Committee acknowledges that the Constitution does not set minimum requirements as qualifications for appointment as Ombudsman.

However, the Committee is of the view that the Constitution be amended to allow for such qualifications to be set either in the Constitution itself or in an Act (law) of Parliament.

Any such qualifications are to state the exclusion of persons with prior convictions.

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

HONIARA City Council has warned bus owners that increasing bus fares without any legal proceeding is illegal and that HCC will interrogate buses that charged $5 yesterday.

Mayor of Honiara City Hon Andrew Mua said his office has received a number of reports about the buses charging $5 to passengers yesterday and now they are compiling reports to identify and penalise the buses.

He said those buses who charge $5 bus fare have breached certain HHC laws and HCC will deal with the issue accordingly.

Mua said strategy to catch and interrogate the buses are in place and there will be no escape for buses who try to play foul.

He said that one strategy is to arrest and question the buses when they (buses) go to HCC to buy their business licence.

“Some of the buses who charged five dollars bus fare are yet to buy their license at HCC and this give us a higher chance to identify the buses base on the reports we received so far.

“They will be summoned when they turned up to pay their licences,” he said.

Mua said his office has never announced that there will be an increase of bus fare when endorsing the Honiara new bus route.

He stressed those buses who charge $5 fare are confused or treat the Honiara new bus route transition period as an opportunity to get more income.

This paper understands that an interim Honiara city bus owners association clearly stated during their meeting on Sunday that bus fares will remain the same.

Spokesperson for the association Mr Walter Maesugea said there is no point to increase the bus fare as decision made was to diminish short route issues and not to increase the busfare.

He said the interim bus association will talk with HCC about the issue and decision made during their discussion will be final.

This paper is yet to receive any information or the outcome of the interim bus association and HCC’s meeting.

They were supposed to have met yesterday.

BY CAROL-ANNE SULEGA

SINCE the Office of the Ombudsman experiences and receives an average of 300 complaints a year, the Bills and Legislation Committee (BLC) suggests that the Ombudsman has at least one of his own officers in each of the country’s nine provinces.

This was a recommendation by the Committee on the passed legislation, the Ombudsman Bill (Act).

In evidence, the Committee was informed that the Office receives an increasing demand for its services and has reported an accumulated backlog.

The BLC noted that this is an overwhelming number of complaints which is managed by a very lean staff.

The Committee noted that the legislation will enable the Office to address capacity issues by expanding its current staff establishment and to recruit accordingly.

This would also take into account the recruitment of qualified personnel suited for various technical and specific tasks.

The Office anticipates these increased to be introduced this year according to the report.

The BLC was informed that previously, the Office engaged public servants who are posted in the provincial headquarters to perform investigations in the provinces on behalf of the Ombudsman.

These officers are referred to as the ‘Focal Point Personnel’ who provide assistance on an ad hoc and voluntary basis.

The report states that the Committee is concerned that in a situation where there is conflict of interest, proper investigation of complaints may be compromised under such arrangements.

The BLC then added that it supports the need for the Ombudsman to have strong presence and reach in all provinces.

“However, the Committee is of the view that the time has come for the Ombudsman to have its own staff in the provinces.

“Where focal point personnel are used, these should be remunerated for their work and clear guidelines are set to avoid conflict of interest situations,” the report states.

The BLC also recommends that the Ministry of Public Service and the Ministry of Finance and Treasury work collaboratively with the Office of the Ombudsman t0o urgently pursue recruitment within the next 12 months.

This was stated last year, therefore work on this is expected this year.