POLICE Commissioner Mathew Varley says that the Janus taskforce is still active and is working very hard.
Currently there is no latest development on the investigations but there are a number of cases that they have on file that investigators are working on them at the moment.
“I expect the public to see number of investigation come to the front this year.
“So the message is Janus is still active, still working very hard and watch this space for 2018,” Mr Varley said.
He said couple of cases is before the court for trial and officers are balancing the trial commitment with the current active investigation.
And thus number of significant cases will be resolved in the coming weeks and months.
Varley also highlighted that these are complex jobs and police are not leaving the cases behind, they certainly understand the expectation of the public on the cases.
POLICE Commissioner Mathew Varley is calling on communities to support police in their investigations.
He made the comment following questions asked during the press conference yesterday on the progress of murder cases which occurred before the Christmas period last year.
Mr Varley said if communities want cases to be quickly dealt with people in the communities who have information about incidents occurred in their communities must come forward to the police and tell the information.
He said police cannot just arrest people without any evidence and people cannot just say that police are not doing enough when there was arrest.
He said alleged murder cases in particular the Auki death incident and the Avuavu incident are being currently investigated by police.
They are sensitive cases and police are doing thorough investigation into those cases, Varley adds.
THREE of the five defendants into the alleged scandal case of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services have entered not guilty pleas yesterday while two others will be arraigned on the next date of appearance.
This is the case against five individuals alleged of misusing funds within the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in 2013.
Robert Manu former procurement officer, Dalcy Maena former accounts officer and local contractor Tigi Sikele entered not guilty pleas on all the charges against them, and the case is adjourned for the next seven days.
The other two accused, Stephen Kidoe Dalipanda former Financial Controller and Randy Hatigeva former senior accountant, will likely enter their plea on the next appearance.
The allegation said that the five individuals were involved in misusing funds in the $10-million scandal that was uncovered in 2013 during a normal risk assessment undertaken in the Government’s financial management information system by Finance ministry officials.
In doing so, irregularities were detected in transactions relating to the Health Sector Support Program funded by AusAID.
It was uncovered that government contracts allocated under the health project involved grossly inflated pricing of freight service charges and shipping charters by contractors who were not shipping operators, but merely middle-man shell companies that charged exorbitant margins of around three to four times the normal freight service charges.
Government officials involved have allegedly colluded with contracted service providers to defraud the state.
The allegation against the former financial controller said between 1 January 2012 and 20 September 2013 the former Financial Controller obtained $7.3 million and on 15 occasions he fabricated invoices for freighting and claims were submitted under the fake shipping companies without the provision of services.
His co-accused Manu of Tikopia faces 12 counts of false pretence and four counts of official corruption.
This is for allegedly processed some payments under two non-genuine shipping companies totally up to 7.3 million.
Prosecution then alleged that the other accused Mr Hatigeva is also involved in endorsing payments and other documents totalling up $7.3 million.
While Dalcy Maena of Malaita who faces 18 counts of false pretence was alleged for processing fictitious quotes, invoices and claims for non-executed services or duplicated payments from fake shipping including a private company that she set up totalling up to SBD $7,542, 763.40.
In relation to the local contractor Tigi Sikele he faced with two counts of false pretences for allegedly defrauding the Ministry of Health of more than $730,000.
The Public Prosecution office is appearing for the crown in court.
Dutch-brand Temberg Tractors on display in Malaysia for SIPA executive. These workhorse cost around SBD4 million.
Dutch-brand Temberg Tractors on display in Malaysia for SIPA executive. These workhorse cost around SBD4 million.
SOLOMON Islands Ports Authority (SIPA) takes delivery of special trailers for its tractors next Thursday.
These ‘tools’ are part of the nation’s oldest State- Owned Enterprise’s (SOE) multi-million dollar plant and equipment acquisition program estimated to be around $25 million.
The six (6) SEACOM 45ft roll trailers cost $1.5 million. Two three-tonne forklift are also due to arrive on Thursday 8 February. The tractors, which arrived last month, along with the trailers and forklift, will all be commissioned at the end of February.
These equipment form the backbone of SIPA’s new focus to improve service delivery particularly at our two international seaports. The specially designed terminal tractors, for example, would be used to transfer containers as they come off overseas ships at Point Cruz and Noro wharves.
The six units of the Dutch brand (yes Dutch brand, not German as previously reported), TERMBERG Brand Terminal Tractors, model YT220 cost SIPA about SBD4 million. The fleet arrived in Honiara two weeks ago.
Hugo Bogoro, SIPA’s Manager Operations (right) proudly shows off the new 200 tonne multi heavy lift spreader at the Point Cruz Wharf last December
Last December SIPA left no one in doubt it was serious about improving service delivery in particular, with backing from its Board, management and its workforce. It ended 2017 on a high note.
SIPA purchase the largest multi-purpose heavy lift in the South Pacific. Honiara is the only seaport to own and operate this monster of a machine in the entire Pacific region, according to the SIPA management.
Its purchase signalled the beginning of SIPA’s multi-million dollar investment and acquisition program to get the best for Honiara ports (Point Cruz) and Noro in Western Province.
Under the Management Team headed by Chief Executive Officer, Eranda Kotelawala, SIPA wasted little time as 2018 rolled in.
SIPA FORKLIFT due to arrive next Thursday 8 February2018
Apart from the arrival of the new equipment, SIPA Board and Management are expecting consulting engineers’ report. In it, are a number of areas to being highlighted for improvement, but which are already on the SIPA Management’s radar.
The report by the two Australian consultants is expected to be given to SIPA if not already, by this month.
While here last December, the Australian consultants also used part of their time to engage with all seaport users (stakeholders), including Honiara Agents of overseas ships as well as local ships’ operators and owners.
The exercise was intended to help SIPA focus on efficiency and improvement of service delivery in particular.
FORMER member of the Solomon Islands National Provident Fund (SINPF), Clement Waiwori, reiterated the need to review the current SINPF Act.
Mr Waiwori, who was with the SINPF board for nine years, said the SINPF Act has never been reviewed since 1976.
He said any review will take long, as it will go back to parliament, but it is good for the SINPF and its members.
Waiwori’s comments come as a group of people intend to form an association to represent SINPF members in the SINPF board.
He said he welcomes the move but he wants to see the association pursuing a review to the Act.
“The association needs to fight for a review to the Act and not merely for a position in the board,” Waiwori said.
He said the review should look into increasing employee representative in the board from one to two. The two employee representatives are to represent employees in the private and public sector.
Only one board member represents employees, as required by the Act.
This member is appointed by the SIPEU. There is also another member who represented employers and is appointed by the Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI).
Waiwori said having two members in the board is better and will have weight in any board discussions.
During his time in the board, Waiwori said the only time the board listened is when he uses a strike threat.
“The association should pressure the minister of finance and Treasury, Manasseh Sogavare, to make the review to the Act his priority.
Waiwori was also a board member of the Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI), Solomon Islands Printers (SIP), Investment Corporation of Solomon Islands (ICSI) that controls State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and Solomon Islands Mutual Insurance Centre (SMI).
CONCERNED students of the Solomon Islands National University claim that the institution’s final list for this year’s intake is not genuine.
They said a number of students who had received offer letters of admission from SINU do not have their names on the list.
They are concerned this will affect students’ learning in terms of classroom space and a conducive environment.
“To produce competitive students for regional and global marketing, SINU needs to be transparent and fair in its selection which an end result will benefit country’s development,” the students said.
While they congratulate students whose names are on the list, they are calling on SINU authorities to clarify the matter.
SINU’s Vice Pro Chancellor Prof Basil Marasinghe has responded saying the numbers of courses offered at SINU (projections) are determined by School.
“By the way, any student who has been given offer letter can get enrolled if they pays the required amount of fees before deadline even name may not be in the advertisement published in newspapers,” Marasinghe said.
Marasinghe explained SINU’s final listing for this year is based on the selection which appeared in an electronic system called Students Management System (SMS) which qualify students with conditions.
“The SMS qualifies students with Condition and this applies to form 6 and 7 current students awaiting their transcripts,” Marasinghe said.
“This students are now been issued with their transcripts hence are subjected to school approvals, note these are students who already have data in the system.
“Once the Schools give approval to these students, SAS will issue offer letters accordingly.”
Marasinghe said SINU’s cut-off aggregate for form six students this year is 10. So the school had been filling their required spaces with aggregates of 11, 12, 13, and 14.
“Once a student is approved by the schools and Students Administrative Services
(SAS) accordingly issues an offer the student has the right to enrol,” Marasinghe said.
SOLOMON Islands Maritime Safety Association Chief Maritime Officer Mr Peter Young Daouma is one of the assistance officers deployed in the Kiribati Search party.
He left Honiara on board Orion Aircraft with other search personnel from Australia.
Acting Director of SIMSA Captain Tim Harris said officer Daouma was deployed to add extra resources to the operation.
He said the aerial search operation was not able to spot luck and Mr Daouma has returned to Honiara.
Harris explained that the manpower support was decided due to lack of rescue resources available during the unexpected situations.
He said Kiribati had requested assistance from Australia and that Solomon Islands was pleased to render some support.
The ferry, the MV Butiraoi, departed on January 18 bound for the main island of Tarawa, a journey that should have taken about two days, when the tragic incident occurred.
Reports say that most of the passengers were kids who were on their way to begin their academic year in Tarawa.
AS part of the Solomon Islands Tourism Quality Standards programme, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Tourism Division) is launching a code of practice for the Tourism sector.
The code of practice is an adaption of a version developed by the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO).
Distributed during the ‘Tourism in Focus’ forum, the code of practice is to improve awareness of key issues facing the development of tourism in Solomon Islands. Also this code of practice is said to inspire action and make commitment by stakeholders to positive change.
The main aim of the code of practice is to make sure that tourists receive the best possible service. Another aim of the code is to inspire everyone involved in tourism towards higher standard and thirdly to make sure and enhance the reputation of Solomon Islands as a tourism destination.
The code is a list of recommendations that covers service, quality, ethical and sustainability aspects of tourism business. More so it is a set of values which everyone involved in the tourism sector should work hard to uphold.
This code of practice is said to come about because of the lack of quality standards and professionalism in the tourism sector. The tourism industry in the country is said to have great potential but remains underdeveloped.
The tourism division hopes to ensure the best possible service for tourists in order to be competitive with our neighbouring countries through the code of practice. The tourism division says the ‘code of practice’ for the tourism industry are often used by national tourism organisations to inspire everyone involved in tourism towards higher standards.
The code will be distributed through a number of channels which the tourism division uses to engage in the tourism sector. This will be done in conjunction with other parts of the SI Tourism Quality Standard Programme, such as the minimum standards and classification programme and tourism training held by tourism division staff.
Recruitment in Solomon Islands. Photograph Rina
Rarere, Pick Hawkes Bay
REPORTS of threats from Solomon Islanders to seasonal worker recruiters from New Zealand is damaging our reputation.
Whilst the seasonal workers scheme has benefited Solomon Islanders, reports of intimidation and extortion attempts while the recruiters were in Honiara is just bad publicity.
The seasonal workers scheme has helped Solomon Islanders build new homes and changed lives. It has benefited individual families and contributed to the local economy by way of remittances.
Local workers who went to work in New Zealand or Australia have spoken highly of the benefit derived from this scheme.
The popularity of the scheme has led to locals competing for spaces to be recruited thus led to this alleged reports of intimidation and extortion.
We know money earned by our seasonal workers is lucrative and more than an ordinary public servant can earn in a month. This makes it attractive for Solomon Islanders to do what they do – even to the extent of threatening the recruiters.
Such claims might not be true, but who knows! Given the situation we are in, Solomon Islanders are desperate to earn money and may go to such extent of threatening recruiters. This is shameful to say the least.
The alleged actions is tarnishing the good image of the seasonal worker scheme. It reflects badly on us as a recruiting ground for workers.
What has become of us? Are we that desperate? If the reports are true, then we must change such attitude.
This action is done only by individuals, but see how damaging it can be. It can certainly scare away potential recruiters in the future.
One rotten apple can destroy the rest, so let us be mindful of our actions and respect our recruiters. They are our potential employers, so treat them accordingly.
You never know how little things can lead to bigger actions, so stop threatening our recruiters but give them the Solomons hospitality and that friendly smiles we are known for.
In reiterating Solomon Islands High Commissioner in New Zealand Her Excellency Joy Kere’s words: Solomon Islands can guarantee the safety of seasonal worker recruiters visiting this beautiful country.
So please recruiters come back again and we will ensure such incident never happen again.
