BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

POLICE Commissioner Mathew Varley has confirmed in his weekly media conference yesterday that the medical report regarding the Auki motel death has been received.

He said investigation is continuing and they are waiting on the Director of Public Prosecution for the review of the file, as the file is with the DPP’s office.

Responding to questions asked in regards to the death, he said no arrest has been made and police do not have any particular suspect as yet.

“The medical report has been received and at this stage waiting on the DPP for review of the file to assess the evidence and at this pointing time no one has been arrested and we don’t have a particular suspect we are waiting to see what the DPP’s conclusion based on the facts of the case,” Mr Varley said.

This is in relation to the death of a female, about 20-years-old, whose body was found at the Travellers Motel in Auki in December last year.

The cause of the death is still unknown and police are still continuing with investigations.

Police, as always, are urging relatives of the deceased to refrain from taking the law into their own hands whilst investigation is ongoing.

By Alfred Sasako

IT has emerged that controversial businessman, Patrick Wong, was brought into Solomon Islands as an employee of the Copra Export Marketing Authority (CEMA), not as an investor.

“The CEMA Board employed him to reorganise the Russell Islands Plantation Estates Ltd (RIPEL). This means that when the term of the CEMA Board expired, he too was finished,” Russell Islands tribal landowner, Silas Selo told Island Sun in an exclusive interview yesterday.

The emergence of this new information is significant because it proves Mr Wong had no legal right to claim anything. He was merely an employee, not an investor, Mr Selo said.

The revelation comes amidst reports that some people stand to gain significant benefit from the $50 million the High Court ordered the Government to pay for the Hell’s Point waste land in east Honiara.

Island Sun was informed that up to $20 million from the payment would be paid to those who convince the government to pay.

Prime Minister Ricky Houenipwela has put his foot down against the payment, although some reports suggest that there is in-principle agreement for future government to make the payment later.

Selo said the very reason the 1994 CEMA Act was enacted was for the sole reason that all alienated land held by foreigners up to July 7, 1978 were to be returned to the traditional landowners.

“All freehold land titles were converted into Fixed Term Estates (FTEs) then. So it means that even freehold land owned by Levers Solomon Ltd were returned to the traditional landowners,” Selo said.

“This means Mr Wong is not entitled to be paid a single penny. He owns nothing and Solomon Islands owes him nothing. The Government should never pay the $50 million,” Selo said, adding there should be a judicial review into the High Court decision awarding the payment.

“I believe the High Court may have been misled on the background of the so-called transactions involving the Hell’s Point land and LSL’s ownership of it,” he said.

“There should be a judicial review.”

BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE

PRIME Minister Rick Houenipwela has taken on an important initiative since coming into office late last year to encourage the government’s outreach to people.

This is according to Mr George Herming, Director of Government Communication Unit (GCU) who was speaking at the first ever gathering of government press officers which took place on Tuesday at the Iron Bottom Sound Hotel.

Whilst expressing how delighted he is of Prime Minister Hou’s presence at the workshop, he spoke briefly of the Prime Minister’s efforts in bringing the government to the people by form of information dissemination measures.

Herming explained that when PM Hou came to office, he had expressed his desire to see that the government reaches out to people with programmes and information where people need to make daily decisions on.

He mentioned that Hou had tasked the press office and the government communications office to coordinate the workshop which is the first government information workshop to take place.

He furthered that with that initiative, the Solomon Islands Democratic Coalition for Change Government (SIDCCG) is pleased that government communication officers have all come together, thus demonstrating their commitment for the programme.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE Police Commissioner has lashed out at government officials who break the law of Solomon Islands.

Matthew Varley says that government officials should be role models in upholding the law of this country.

Speaking in his weekly media conference, he said it is disappointing to see government officials breaking the law of this country.

Recently a senior police officer, senior official from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and an officer of the Ministry of Forest were involved in drink driving accidents.

He said he had been giving many messages over recent months about drink driving because it is dangerous and a risk to the community right across Solomon Islands, particularly in Honiara and traffic officers are out there every day making sure people are not drink-driving.

“The message is very clear if you drink don’t drive and if you are going to drive don’t drink the limit of alcohol in a person’s blood is 0.05 percent and above that you are breaking the law and you will be arrested and prosecuted and taken to court,” Mr Varley said.

“The three very serious cases happened recently of people breaking that law is not good

“I am not happy with that, we have got three cases of officials in government vehicles of government department including the police force breaking the law.”

He also said that the senior police officer have been suspended and he also acknowledges the work of the young traffic officers in having the courage in professionally dealing with the case of the senior police officer.

By Mike Puia

A Choiseul Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) has come out and shed light on the issue of tender selection in the province.

MPA for Choiseul Bay Ward, Josiah Vana, said there have been concerns raised by the people in his Ward about the selection of contractors for the tenders.

“In fact, some people in my Ward strongly believe the process of selecting a contractor is bias,” Vana said.

He said a tender committee is doing the work but it appears the work done is unfair.

Vana confirmed witnessing cases where the same people get contracts, adding it has been happening for years.

Vana’s admittance challenges claims by the Provincial Capacity Development Advisor, Korolyn Zutu, that the tender selection process is fair.

Vana said the tender committee is doing its screening but there are issues observed like fairness on decisions to award tender and variation.

He said the provincial accounts committee must properly scrutinise issues relating to tenders.

The MPA for Ward 8 said there is a case where a contractor got the tender to build the Treasury Office.

He said $481,000 was approved for the contract however the contractor did not receive the amount of the contract.

Vana said even their finance team could not find this money.

“This money simply lost but it has been approved under our budget and it has been paid out but the contractor has not received anything,” Vana said.

He added there are guidelines in the province when awarding tenders but outcomes must reflect these guidelines.

“When you have outcomes that do not reflect guidelines, you know there are issues within the system that has been tampered with,” Vana added.