BY GEORGE MANFORD

AUKI

PUBLIC in Auki have urged the Auki police traffic officers to work extra hard to identify expired vehicles in Auki.

A concerned citizen, Barton Lobo told this paper yesterday that he wants to see Auki police traffic officers hunt for the transport owners with expired vehicle licence and to arrest them immediately.

The issue of expired vehicle needs to be addressed, Mr Lobo said.

He said it is very important for transport owners to have proper licences and to renew their vehicle licences rather than breaking the law and practising a no-care attitude.

“This practice was often seen especially back in the rural areas where some expired vehicles are being used on roads away from the eyes of the police. I remember Auki police has done a very fine job in Auki last week doing traffic checks for public transport which shows transport owners should work together with the police to maintain law and order in the provincial level.”

Lobo also urged the traffic officers to extend their check points outside of Auki town along the north road, south road area to hunt for those expired vehicles during their routine on vehicle check.

“I raised this concern on behalf of the travelling public especially for our safety when traveling in the public vehicles. I urge Auki police to arrest transport owners who have expired vehicle licenses and drivers with no licenses to face justice and lay charges against them because they are breaking the law.”

Lobo made reference to a fatal accident at Fouala on Wednesday, where it was believed that an expired vehicle carrying passengers from Gwaifai clinic to Fouala claimed the life of 15-year-old boy.

“Vehicle owners should be reminded to take precautions and do necessary repairs and servicing to their vehicles frequently for the safety of their passengers and the public,” Lobo said.

THE Leader of the Independent Group in Parliament, Hon Dr Derek Sikua is calling for the immediate suspension of the Commissioner of Forest for issuing a felling licence to log government land.

At the same time Mr Sikua said all machineries used in the illegal operation together with the logs extracted from the Komarigi Reserve should be seized by the State.

“There is sufficient evidence suggesting that a crime has been committed. I don’t know why the Police Commissioner is not responding to this matter. As far as I am concerned a prima facie case exists warranting immediate police intervention,” Sikua said.

But Wong Hook Ping, the man in the centre of the alleged illegal operation yesterday defended his company’s logging operations, saying “we have done nothing wrong”.

“I have done nothing illegal. We have fully complied with the requirements of the law in Solomon Islands,” Mr Wong told Island Sun in an exclusive in his office yesterday.

With him were the landowner trustees, including Peter Isaac, Aaron Devesi and Serapino Pero as well as a member of the Prime Minister’s Taskforce investigating the Komarigi Reserve logging operations. Several other landowners filled the company’s Ranadi front office, waiting for their payments.

Meanwhile Sikua said the taskforce set up by the Prime Minister “is a waste of time”.

“What the Prime Minister should have done is to ask the Public Service Commission to suspend the Commissioner of Forest immediately. At the same time, police should move in to take appropriate action.

“Those responsible for this act of theft must be arrested and charged,” Sikua said.

It was revealed earlier this week that Commissioner Moveni, had issued a felling licence to log registered land which is on a 75-year lease to the Government.

Documents obtained in the course of Island Sun newspaper the investigation show that Mbetilonga Landholdings Community Company Ltd and One Pacific Company Ltd have been logging the Reserve since April 23, 2015.

The illegal logging operation is said to have cost the government up to $30 million in lost revenue.

Sikua said this is a serious matter and appropriate action must be taken to discourage the repeat of such practice in the future.

“Once again, I repeat that the Commissioner of Forest must be suspended immediately. And secondly, police should the Forest Act to put a seizure order on the company’s machinery and the stockpile of logs extracted illegally from government land.

“Thirdly, I call on police to arrest and charge with theft those officers who were responsible for facilitating the illegal operations,” Sikua said.

BY SAMIE WAIKORI

Auki

A 15-year-old school boy has died and three others with serious injuries after a road accident on Wednesday afternoon in the highlands of Central Kwara’ae.

The accident occurred close to Fou’ala village after the three-tonne passenger truck they travelled on encountered a mechanical problem.

Malaita Provincial Police Commander told this paper yesterday that the boy was among 26 other passengers going home from Auki that day.

He said it was when they were ascending a hill just before coming to Fou’ala village that the engine of the truck died.

In a separate interview with one of the passengers, she said before ascending the hill, 19 of them mostly women and children got out of the truck.

She said when they got out only seven people, three in the cabin and four including the deceased were at the trailer.

According to PPC, Mr Timothy Apaeasi when they were somewhere up the hill the engine of the truck died and the truck started to reverse and later rolled down the hill.

“The truck was going on reverse for a distance of 73 metres downhill, but did not over turn. When the truck kept going on reverse downhill those at the back jumped from the moving vehicle in an attempt to avoid an accident.

“The boy unfortunately hit his head on a tree when he tried to escape from the vehicle that resulted in his death,” Apaeasi said.

In an interview with a passenger in the vehicle, she said those in the cabin did not sustain any injury.

Apaeasi said after the incident, passengers were taken to Kilu’ufi hospital for treatment.

He said police arrested the 20-year-old driver who is now remanded in police custody whilst investigation is underway.

Apaeasi said when they arrested the driver they found that both the driver and the truck are with expired licences.

He said the truck involved in the accident was a blue three-tonne truck previously owned by Auluta transport service from East Kwara’ae.

POLICE in Auki, Malaita Province have arrested and charged a male driver in relation to a fatal traffic accident on the Fouala feeder road along the south road from Auki on March 14, 2018 during which a 14-year-old boy died instantly.

“There were 26 passengers on board the vehicle and as they are travelling up the hill the vehicle engine stopped and reversed backward. It veered off the road and fell 73 metres down a hill,” says Supervising Provincial Police Commander, Malaita Province, Superintendent Timothy Apaesi.

“Sadly a 14-year-old boy died instantly while five other passengers were injured, some seriously. They were taken to Kilu’ufi Hospital where they have been admitted.

“It is alleged that during the last two weeks of traffic checks and awareness, the vehicle involved in the fatal accident did not come on the road until Police checks were done. Sadly it was involved in the tragic accident.

“The driver of the vehicle was arrested and charged for multiple traffic offences. He risked the lives of his passengers by transporting them in an unlicensed vehicle. This is what could happen when drivers and vehicle owners decide to ignore the law and use an unlicensed vehicle.

“I extend my sympathies to the members of the family and relatives of the 14-year-old boy and call on them to remain calm and allow police in Auki to investigate this tragic accident.”

–POLICE MEDIA

THE Government through the Ministry of Forest and Research (MOFR) is informing stakeholders of the progress made on the components of meeting full REDD+ initiative; the historical annual forest and land use change assessment including the reference level in the country.

REDD+ initially means Reducing Emission from Deforestation and forest Degradation with the plus sign covering Conservation of forest carbon stocks; Sustainable management of forests and Enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

This is the second consultation workshop to update and get feedbacks on a scope of 2-by-2 hectares of preliminary findings assessment carried out by the Ministry with technical support and advice from Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)/UNREDD.

Stakeholders include government line ministries, The Nature Conversancy (TNC), Solomon Islands National University (SINU), Word Wide Fund (WWF), Solomon Islands Development Trust (SIDT), MFAT (NZAid), DFAT (AusAid), SPC/GIZ, SPREP, JICA, KOICA, UNDP – CB 2 Project, Integrated Forest Management (IFM), NRDF and SICCP.

Opening the one day workshop at the Heritage Park Hotel, MOFR Permanent Secretary Dr Vaeno Vigulu says amongst other priorities, the Solomon Islands Government has joined the international community to report on the status and trends of biodiversity and climate change.

However, the Government has no comprehensive, robust, quantitative and transparent national level information about the forest and other land cover extent; includes forest health and condition, biodiversity and carbon stocks – all themes that the Government has committed to monitor and report within the international community.

That is the sole reason as to why this assessment undertaking has been carried out with technical support from FAO/UNREDD, he says.

“It is a privilege to receive such technical training from FAO/UNREDD; more importantly on the determination of our forest cover loss or gain overtime using remote sensing, and also develop relevant field assessment procedures.

“This had, and will assist Solomon Islands to estimate and be able to report on our carbon emissions and removals over the last period; more so be able to monitor thereon.”

He adds these preliminary findings are important for Solomon Islands as a party to the Climate Change Conventions particularly the REDD+ program which was established around 2012.

With a roadmap developed under the UNREDD programme back then, and cabinet endorsement in 2015.

It allows Solomon Islands Government under Ministry of Forestry and the Ministry of Environment to continue implement activities to fulfil the requirements on preparing the country to fully participate in the REDD+ initiative.

Today we are at this stage of assessment and we are making progress along the roadmap, said the Permanent Secretary.

“During this one day workshop, results of the forest and land use change will be shared.

“You will also involve in the discussion and agreeing to formalisation or forest and land use classification definitions, discuss on the information and construction of the Forest Reference Level (FRL).

“Your contributions will be captured to shape the action plan and the roadmap 2018 for submissions of Forest Reference Emission Level and Forest Reference Level (FREL/FRL) in early 2019, our current proposed target.”

–MOFR PRESS