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Manele congratulates Kenilorea Jnr on International appointment.

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Press Release
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The Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade Jeremiah Manele last week congratulates his parliamentary colleague Honorable Peter Kenilorea (Jr), on his successful bid and appointment for the role of President of the Organization of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Parliamentary Assembly and Co-President of the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

Minister Manele extended sincere gratitude to the Pacific Missions in Europe and the wider ACP groups for their support and confidence in supporting the nomination of Solomon Islands to this presidency role.

Minister Manele further assures Hon Peter Kenilorea Jnr of his Ministry’s support as he takes on the Presidency role of the OACPS.

In the role of President, Hon. Kenilorea Jr will represent Solomon Islands and the Pacific region as the President of the OACPS Parliamentary Assembly and Co-President of the OACPS–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly to manage and preside over the consultations, debates and dialogue on issues of mutual interest.

The OACPS Parliamentary Assembly and the OACPS Joint Parliamentary Assembly are institutions established under the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement also commonly known as the Cotonou Agreement, and previously Lome series of Conventions. 

The current agreement will be replaced by a new partnership Agreement in November 2021.

Kenilorea Jnr is Solomon Islands representative in the two parliamentary bodies, since assuming the role of Chairman of the Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee (PFRC).   

The Joint Parliamentary meets four times a year in plenary and intersessional meetings.

  The debates by these joint institutional bodies enhance better understanding of issues amongst parliamentarians in the bid to foster more effective platforms for cooperation amongst parliaments and towards confronting global challenges and sustainable development.

The process to facilitate the appointment was undertaken through collaboration between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, the SI Mission to the European Union in Brussels and the National Parliament Office.

–GCU

We want to modernise Temotu: Premier Forau

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
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Premier of Temotu Province, Clay Forau speaking at the Temotu Province Second Appointed Day Celebrations last year. PHOTO: Elliot Dawea

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

Premier Clay Forau said his government is looking at modernising Temotu Province.

Forau echoed this during the Temotu Province Second Appointed celebration held in Lata.

He said based on the Temotu Provincial government policy intention they will stand to modernise Lata, capital of the province, and the whole of Temotu province

“We stand on a policy intention to modernise this capital (Lata). We will not allow the kind of things that we see in the villages to infiltrate and influence our development in Lata town.

“We will influence out rural communities with what is happening here in the provincial capital,” Forau said.

He said he believes that if they modernise Lata township they will also be able to modernise the rural communities.

“It may not be easy, it may not come soon but this what we want to do,” Forau said.

He said they have decided to do this to become a model province and that is one part the people of Temotu province can play in developing Solomon Islands.

“So all the building erected here must be according to Provincial governments plan. We want to ensure our rural dwellers also feel and experience what civilisation and development is,” Forau said.

‘THINK AGAIN’

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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Logger wants review of Bio-Security land decision

By EDDIE OSIFELO

EXCELLENT Resources Management Ltd is asking the Land Board to review the decision taken by Commissioner of Land, Alan McNeil over the land occupied by Bio Security at Ranadi, East Honiara.

The land parcel No. is 192-010-003.

McNeil had issued a Notice of Resumption on March 16 on the land to retain it for public purpose and to continue hosting the biosecurity quarantine incinerator.

But, company lawyer Gabriel Suri explained to the Chairman of Land Board in a letter sent on April 8 that his client’s interest to acquire Fixed Term Estate (FTE) on the land is to enable it to establish an oxygen gas factory for production of industrial and medical oxygen gas.

Suri said his client has carried out a study on the supply of and demand for oxygen gas and it is apparent that oxygen is being imported and supplied at very huge costs.

He said the demand of the National Referral Hospital for oxygen is very substantial; and it requires constant supply of oxygen at reasonable price.

Furthermore, Suri said if established, the oxygen gas factory will be able to supply oxygen gas to hospitals in the country on reliable basis and at reasonable price.

He said this component of the service is, therefore, a public purpose as well.

“It is a public purpose that requires support of your Land Board and the Government.

“With the threat posed by COVID-19 pandemic and other impending pandemic diseases, all hospitals in Solomon Islands must be adequately supplied with oxygen gas,” he said.

Suri said his client is ready and willing to provide this public purpose service to ensure that Solomon Islands has the medical capacity to deal with life threatening pandemics.

Further to that, Suri said by virtue of the new Part IIA enacted in 2014, section 8C (5), any land recovered by the Commission by forfeiture or resumption shall not be allocated within a period of six months.

He said Section 8C (6) also states that the Commissioner shall only exercise a power to carry out any function in subsection (4) of that section if there is a written directive from the Board to the Commissioner.

Moreover, section 4(4) of the Land and Titles Act vest power in the Land Board to give general or special direction to the Commissioner of Lands in relation to his holding and dealing in interest in land.

Suri said it is their opinion that the Board has power to give general and specific policy directions on the scope of public policy.

“As regarding PN.192-010-033, production of oxygen gas for medical purposes should be classified as public purpose under your policy.

“The Commissioner of Lands should be able to identify another land for biosecurity quarantine incinerator,” he said.

Commissioner of Lands had transferred the FTE title held by Honiara City Council to Excellent Resources Management Ltd, a logging company on January 7 this year.

The company paid transfer costs of $800,000 into the HCC bank account and outstanding rental at Ministry of Lands, Housing and Survey.

Initially, Commissioner of Lands had granted the FTE title to Honiara City Council on September 26, 1986.

However, the transfer of the land to the company did not go down well with Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.

 “The land is used for destruction of all garbage removed from international vessels and aircraft coming into Solomon Islands,” Director of Biosecurity of MAL, Francis Tsatsia said in a strongly-worded statement issued recently.

“It’s a requirement that garbage of this sort must be offloaded and incinerated as biosecurity risk is very high,” Tsatsia added.

“Normal garbage for incinerator in this premises are plants and plant products and animal and their products.”

Tsatsia said another option is for the Biosecurity department to move to Henderson, however it will be a risk for Aviation operation there because of smoke to be released from coming burning garbage.

Permanent Secretary Ethel Tebengi Frances said she is very disappointed about the action taken by HCC to sell off the land without consulting her ministry.

“At least the courtesy to inform us so we can negotiate with them (HCC),” Frances said.

“This is a threat to national security of this country during these COVID-19 pandemic as wastes from flights into the country poses a huge threat,” she added.

Frances had said MAL would not go down without a fight to retain this piece of land for our national security.

Logger plans Oxygen gas factory at Ranadi

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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By EDDIE OSIFELO

MALAYSIAN logging company, Excellent Resources Management plans to establish an Oxygen gas factory in Ranadi, East Honiara.

This will include two buildings to accommodate oxygen and acetylene processing factories.

Michael Lam confirmed this in an email attached with the investment proposal, sent to Foreign Investment Division 3rd March this year.

Lam said he is planning to set up a factory to produce industrial use oxygen gas and also for hospital use oxygen and nitrogen gas.

He said at present all the gases are mostly imported from overseas.

Lam said Tong’s Corporation is producing a low purity of industrial use oxygen because the plant machinery is very old.

“I believe the machinery is about 30 years old,” he said.

However, the company cannot establish both factories because it needs access road.

The only option is to secure the land parcel No. 192-010-033 in front of their premise.

Commissioner of Lands holds the Perpetual Estate over the land while Honiara City Council holds the Fixed Term Estate.

However, the Planning Office in the Council found the land is under-developed for many years and only used by the bio security division in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock as garbage incinerator to dispose plants and animal products.

Excellent Resources Management Ltd wants to acquire the HCC land in order to establish the factory because the distance in between the two factories have to be at 50 meters apart.

Therefore, the company applied to Honiara City Council to acquire the Fixed Term Estate title of the parcel number of land in 2014.

HCC agreed and offered the 50 years FTE to the company and Conditions of the Grant Instrument.

According to Senior Physical Planner of HCC, Alphonsus Osifo’oa, after an investigation on the proposed site, they found the land had all been left un-developed for such a long period of time, thus such parcel of land qualifies to be allocated directly to the applicant (Excellent).

Osifo’oa said the introduction of new business undertaking in bottling factory will assist other registered businesses in the country to buy their bottles locally – an economic spin-off for the country at large.

He said besides the company would also provide employment opportunities to the many un-employed local Solomon Islanders.

Commissioner of Land Allan McNeil granted the consent for the transfer of the FTE from HCC to Excellent Resources Management Ltd after he received the resolution of the HCC, payment of $330 for processing consent for transfer of FTE over Parcel No 192-010-033 and received a recent (6 months) copy of the FTE register.

However, following an outcry from Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock to retain the land for its bio-security division, McNeil issued a Notice of Resumption on 16th March this year.

The Commissioner said the resumption of the land is for public purpose and bio security quarantine incinerator.

The Excellent Resources Management Ltd legal counsel, Gabriel Suri has written to the Land Board to review the decision of the COL because of the need to establish an oxygen gas factory in the country.

SINU students allowed to sit for their exams

Written by
Brian Lezutuni
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Solomon Islands National University

BY JARED KOLI

SERIOUSNESS of students at the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) towards their studies has led the University Senate and Senior Management Committee ‘not to let their efforts to go in vain.’

On Monday, the university announced that it permits students with outstanding fees to sit for their semester one final exams.

This was after a meeting held Thursday last week, where the committee rescinded its resolution of 26th May 2020, and endorsed new resolutions that will be applied to students with outstanding fees.

The new resolutions allowed students with outstanding fees to sit for the exam, however, their results will be withheld until all fees are fully paid.

In a statement responding to Island Sun yesterday, the Senate and Senior Management Committee said their ‘decision was based on students’ interest at heart.’

“Ever since we made the decision for students with outstanding fees not to attend final exams, some private sponsored students responded and came to pay their fees.

“Constituency sponsored students also came and pay their own fees as well, they don’t wait for their Member of Parliament (MP) anymore. That’s how serious the students think about their studies here at SINU,” the statement said.  

Emphasizing on how students commit to the studies, SINU Senate and Senior Management said some students went on to organize fundraising to meet their outstanding fees.

“Some students, for example, all first-year nursing students, divided themselves into two huge groups and already made two fundraising towards their outstanding fees.”

It adds some of these students are MP sponsored but they are taking the initiative by themselves to settle their outstanding fees.

“With this, some students have paid up to 80 percent to 90 percent of their fees. They might not be able to completely pay their fees comes exam date. However, the management won’t let their efforts to go in vain. Hence, why the new resolution comes about,” it stated.

It adds reason why Distance Flexible Learning (DFL) students must pay their fees in full before sitting their exams is because they enrolled on unit bases, and they can afford it because it is cheaper compared to Face-to-Face students.

“For example, DFL students enrolled with two units at $600 per unit for each term, while a full-time nursing student cost $9000 for a semester.

“That is the reason why Senate Senior Management Committee made the decision for DFL students to continue with their normal practice of paying the full fee before sitting for exams,” the statement explains.

‘Balloon fish’ claims 2 lives

Written by
Ben Bilua
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Scientists say Puffer fish are considered the second most poisonous creatures in the world. Photo: Google

BY BEN BILUA
Gizo

Two people have died at New Takwa village, Nusatuva island, Western province, after reportedly consuming a poisonous fish commonly known as Balloon fish.

Eight others are also recovering from this fish poisoning incident.

Balloon fish, or Puffer fish, which goes by the general scientific name Tetraodontidae, are highly poisonous due to the poisonous substance, Tetrodotoxin, it contains in its skin and liver.

A close relative to the victims, Wilson Wanefasi told Island Sun the victims felt sick after eating the fish on Saturday (June 12).

“I was at the hospital yesterday [Sunday] and was talking to some of the victims who are my relatives. According to information I gathered, the poisonous fish was left in a canoe at the beach by an old man who was out diving on Friday night.

“Early on Saturday morning the woman (deceased) and the kids saw the fish and filleted the fish.

“They took the fish’s stomach and eggs, went back to their home and fried the fish’s intestine and the eggs.

“After eating, the victims felt the impact of the poison and were rushed to Ringi clinic,” he explained.

Wanefasi said the woman was pronounced dead at the clinic upon arrival while the young deceased passed away while the rescue team tried to transport the victims to Gizo Hospital.

He said the kid was a grade-five student of Ringi Primary School.

Wanefasi said the eight survivors all of whom are kids were rushed to Gizo Hospital for medical treatment and survived the tragedy. They were transported back to their village on Monday.

Meanwhile Wanefasi said the sad incident gives a lesson not only for victims’ families but also the people of Solomon Islands about this highly toxic fish type.

He says it is time responsible authorities give awareness country-wide on which fish are non-edible in our waters, and also overseas for people travelling out.

Attempts to get comment from the Western Province’s Health and Medical Authority proved unsuccessful when this paper went to print yesterday.

According to researchers, almost all species of Puffer fish contain a neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin that can be 1200 times stronger than cyanide.

The neurotoxin damages the nervous system, particularly blocking the communication channels between the brain and the body, paralysis occurs and the lungs and heart fail, and the animal or person dies within minutes.

One Puffer fish contains enough toxins in its liver to kill 30 human adults. For this reason, Puffer fish are considered the second most poisonous creatures in the world.

Father and sons face court in robbery case

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

A father and his two sons appeared in court on Monday this week.

They are accused of robbing a shop at Lungga, east Honiara.

Monday’s court session was for interim mention since their trial has been set for September this year.

Elton Titus Tosibana (father), Elton Kiko Tosibana Junior and Tony Misitana are each facing one count of robbery.

Bobby Harunari, representing the three accused, informed court that one of the accused needs to go to his home village to visit his family.

Thus he told the court that he will be making a bail variation on behalf of the accused on the next date of appearance.

Principal Magistrate Tearo Beneteti then adjourned the case for June 17 for bail variation.

Police alleged that Tosibana and his two sons entered a shop at Lungga on August 11, 2019 and stole $10,000 cash, sleeve cigarettes and other goods.

Police said prior to the incident one of the accused, Tosibana, had worked as a security guard at the Sirin Shop.

Prosecution alleged the robbery occurred after Tosibana went to the Sirin shop and asked for his three days’ payment for working as security at the shop.

After attacking the two Bangladeshi inside the shop, Tosibana Snr allegedly grabbed money from the cash box before it was taken by some boys who later escaped with it.

Not long after the incident, police arrived at the scene and arrested the three accused.

Police also recovered $600 from Tosibana Snr.

Tome acquitted of $1.3m embezzlement charge

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

Court has acquitted Early Childhood Education teacher Cecilia Samani Tome over allegations she withdrew $1,387,756.30 that was mistakenly deposited into her ANZ bank account.

Principal Magistrate Tearo Beneteti acquitted her when defence filed a no-case-to answer submission, saying she did not have a case to answer to the allegation made by prosecution.

Ms Tome was charged with one count of embezzlement by public servant.

The allegation said Tome, of Faumamato village, Manaoba, Malaita Province, between December 7, 2017 and July 24, 2019, being employed by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development as class teacher in Hatodea Early Childhood Education Kindergarten School, did fraudulently apply for her own use the sum of $1,387,756.30 without the consent of Ministry of Finance and Treasury.

The accused is an employee of the Solomon Islands Government and she was alleged to have embezzled the government by withdrawing $1,387,756.30 after she was mistakenly paid $3,806,297.77.

The case was tried by paper, counsel did not choose to call any witnesses nor cross-examine any witnesses as it was agreed that all evidences were not contested, the only issue was to legally argue for their respective theory of case and do submissions based on the evidence relied upon by Prosecution.

Defence Lawyer Rodney Manebosa after assessing the evidence provided by the prosecution argued that the prosecution had failed to explain and highlight clearly the defendant’s actions that is fraudulent in nature in all the transaction of the whole matter.

Manebosa said prosecution’s analysis shows that the innocence of the defendant and her role in not doing anything at all in the transactions cannot be right and fair to then blame her and accuse her for being fraudulent in her dealings especially when she received and used the money from and through her own personal bank account.

He argued the failure of prosecution makes it a weak case for them as this element of the offending is already absent and is not sufficient in their view. Therefore, the court must rule in their favour that they have no case to answer in light of the charges laid against the defendant.

Meanwhile Magistrate Beneteti said, “I am dissatisfied prosecutions has provided sufficient evidence for the elements highlighted and discussed and must therefore rule that there is no case to answer for the defence and acquit the defendant accordingly.”

She said of all analysis provided based on all the evidence exhibited and submissions filed by both prosecutions and defence, the court is of the view that prosecution has failed in many aspects to sufficiently provide evidence.

Office of the Director Public Prosecution appears for the crown

Foreigner to appear in court again next week

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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In-court

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE case against a Bangladesh national was adjourned to June 22 for the accused to enter his plea.

In the previous session early this week, court was informed that the defence lawyer was sick, therefore the case was further adjourned for next week where a possible plea be entered by the accused.

This is the case of a Bangladesh national faced with counts of rape, indecent act, criminal trespass and count of intimidation.

Regarding the rape charge, police alleged that the accused raped an underage girl on unknown dates early this year.

Prosecution alleged that the Bangladeshi raped the 11-year-old girl in an area on East Honiara.

According to Police the case was reported to the Henderson police station by the mother of the victim.

Police said the victim’s mother called in at Henderson Police Station and reported that her daughter was raped by a Bangladesh national in his bedroom.

The mother said she only knew of the incident when she heard stories from other girls about what happened to her, it was at that time the mother asked her daughter and confirmed that the accused has been doing sexual action on her for about a week but she was afraid to tell anyone about it.

Bail varied for men in Jejevo incident

Written by
Jennifer Kusapa
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BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

Court has granted variation on bail conditions against men charged over an incident which occurred at Jejevo, Isabel Province early this year.

Defence Lawyer Lappy applied to the court to vary some of the bail conditions against the men to allow them to travel home while awaiting their trial to be held in August.

This is the case of five men accused to have involved in the incident that occurred on March 8 at Jejevo village, Katova district, Isabel province.

The men are facing counts of going armed in a public place, wilful and unlawful damage and criminal trespass.

Pleas of not guilty were entered and a trial date set for August 16 to 20.

Police said on March 8 a group of people armed with knives and axe and went inside the Jejevo community and destroyed properties at the estimated value of $350,000.

Police are advising people around the Katova area that investigation are still ongoing and are calling on the communities around Jejevo, Furona, Jajao and Hurepelo village in the Katova District to assist.

Police Prosecutions prosecuted the case in court.

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