OFFICE of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC) says claims of the imminent arrest of the Malaitian Premier and his advisor is a fabricated rumour manufactured by a person who is of interest to the law enforcement authorities.
“We are aware that the rumour of the imminent arrest was intentionally made to skew public interest from the real issue: a call for investigation of Malaita for Democracy group (M4D) on possible breaches of our laws,” OPMC said in a statement issued yesterday.
“We were informed in early July that the M4D has been conducting a callous COVID-19 vaccination mis-information campaign in Gwauntafu and Sisifiu villages in West Fataleka, Malaita that could put at great risk the lives of our unsuspecting village people.
“It was the M4D group that was outed for investigation in the Solomon Star article titled ‘M4D covid-19 vaccine misinformation’.
“There was however, never a single mention of Celsus or Suidani in the entire article, let alone calls for their arrest.
“The arrest rumours originated from the person of interest in an Island Sun article, wrongly citing the said Solomon Star article as a second source.”
The statement said since the rumor of the imminent arrest is fabricated and intentionally trumpeted all over the media by the person of interest, the OPMC wishes to state that:
- RSIPF are well within their powers to investigate and arrest any individual, including the Premier if they have broken any laws;
- (2) the OPMC has no mandate to determine if Celsus and the Premier have broken any laws. That is for the RSIPF, Director of Public Prosecution, and other enforcement authorities to decide. Meanwhile, the RSIPF have recently announced no investigation orders has been received; and
- the Premier and his advisor should take great comfort in the national government’s soft approach in exercising great restraint, choosing cooperation and dialogue instead of aggression.
“OPMC wishes to reiterate that the Premier and his advisor are not subjects of interest for the OPMC.
“As the coordinating Ministry OPMC is focused on supporting the DCGA Government extract the best outcomes while balancing the competing interests of regional and global superpowers (US and China) under the friend to all enemy to none policy.
“The OPMC thus advocates for cooperation between the national government and all parties, including bilateral and multilateral partners, all provincial governments and peoples so ‘iumi tugeda’ can bring services and tangible development to the people of Solomon Islands, including Malaita.
“Finally, the OPMC is aware that political and rent-seeking opportunists including leaders of the M4D are currently in Honiara conspiring against the government, partly based on the lies they have manufactured.
“The public is therefore sternly advised to avoid associating with these characters as any activity that threatens peace, law, order and national security will be emphatically and decisively dealt with by the relevant government authorities.”
