BY SAMIE WAIKORI

THE RSIPF is preparing for the Safe Boat Operation which usually happens during every Christmas season.

Police Commissioner Matthew Varley said that among other operations they will mount this Christmas festive, one is the Safe Boat Operation.

He said police had prepared campaign materials on sea safety precautions and they will distribute them to the communities soon.

Varley said in a message to public during a press conference yesterday that “safety at sea starts with you, so take simple precautions and simple actions to help yourself stay safe at sea”.

According to the campaign materials, the safety points are, “Plan your trip and let your wantoks know where you are going and what time you expect to arrive.

“Check the weather whether on SIBC or call Met Service on 23658 or toll free 933 before going at sea.

“If you start your trip and the weather becomes bad, seek shelter until the sea is claim. Make sure your boat is seaworthy and your OBM is serviced and maintained.

“Know your skipper, make sure they are experienced in driving boats and do not overload your boat.

“Wear life jackets. Take food, water paddles, first aid kit, anchor and rope, mirror to signal others, tools, bucket, torch, phone, flares and EPIRB.

“Take extra fuel. If your skipper is drunk, do not go with them or let them control the boat.

“And if you require help at sea call Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) or call the RSIPF.”

He said they want to see people safe and they want to see no loss of life at sea during the season.

Varley said as part of the operation, police in Honiara and in the provinces will conduct high visibility patrols and checks of sea ports to check on the safety of vessels.

He said police will liaise with other responsible authorities to carry out the operation to ensure the festive season is free from sea incidents.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE Police Commissioner Mathew Varley has described the murder incident in Avuavu last week as a gruesome and tragic incident.

Speaking during his weekly media conference, Mr Varley said the incident is particularly a gruesome murder due to the fact that a young defenceless girl was murdered by two or three men armed with bush knives and a rope tied around her neck.

“To me is indescribable and in despicable.

“I wanna condemn in a strongest term that this type of violence against women and against young girls in this country got to be stopped,” Varley said

He said following that incident Police in Guadalcanal province have arrested a 40-year-old man in relation to the murder of a young girl at Avuavu in the Weathercoast of Guadalcanal.

Other two suspects are yet to be arrested and police are still continuing with their investigation on the case.

Varley said the murder incident occurred on Tuesday last week.

The deceased was on her way home from school and was intending to go to the village when she was approached by the three men who were armed with bush knives.

“At this point in time as you aware from the allegation one of the men had been charged with murder for having brutally murdered the girl with a bush knife.”

Police said after she was murdered she was carried down the road and thrown underneath some trees on the roadside in some small bush.

The commissioner said it was a sad scenario as it was after three days before her families and relatives found her in that location.

Varley said the news was reported to the police and a team of investigators and Forensics were sent to the crime scene and worked with the community which led to the arrest of the first suspect.

Varley strongly condemned such attitude about violence against women and young girls and want the communities to work together to end such attitude and behaviour.

He said enough is enough because such incident not only affect the families of the victims but also affects police and everybody in this country.

Varley also said that investigation on the case is still ongoing.

BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE

THE government should consider the inclusion of cash reserves in the budget within the level of cash reserves the government wants to build in 2018.

This was expressed in the parliament debate on Monday by the Member of Parliament for Auki/Langalanga.

Hon Mathew Wale said that it is important that the government budget for an adequate level of cash reserves.

“Let us budget for an adequate level of cash reserves so that the government is never in the position of not paying up its contractual legal obligations and meeting its legal commitments in any particular year,” he said.

Moreover, he spoke of how balanced budget is built on assumptions.

“We must stop the nonsense of the so called balanced budget that is built on an absolutely false assumption or the pretention that everything the government has collected will be spent on exactly the same amount in that year,” he said.

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

The Assembly Executive meeting of the United Church of Solomon Islands held at Lauru region came up with lots of important issues raised and passed.

According to Mr Nerio Ulemiki the media coordinator for Christ the King Parish at Voruvoru reporting, these were resolutions to help the church move forward successfully in the years ahead.

He said they successfully confirmed and endorsed resolutions to meet and adapt in resolving issues to straighten the leadership of the church, development of land policies, re-looking at the church structure, financial aspects of the church, youth and women issues affecting social and economic growth, stationing of Ministers and Chaplains in United Church Schools during the four days meeting.

“The United Church highest delegation were really happy for such a big achievement for the church to successfully hold the highest church meeting in the remote part of Lauru region,” said Ulemiki.

“This meeting was also historic in a sense that it is the first time for the highest meeting of the church to be held in one of the remote parts of the United Church regions.

“It was held successfully even though there were few blockages on the way prior to the meeting.

“The Acting Moderator and church delegation thanked the Bishop of Lauru region and Ogho Community and other communities of Tava Circuit and Soranamola community for successfully hosting the assembly executive meeting as the delegates were presented with gifts.”

Ulemiki elaborated that the highest meeting of the church was attended by the 40 plus highest church delegation.

It comprised of the Acting Moderator and Bishop of New Georgia and Eastern Islands region including Bishops of the other three regions making up the United Church of Solomon Islands, the church General Secretary, Church Legal Advisor, Principal of Seghe, General Secretary of Sasamunga Hospital, former Bishops and Ministers of the church and other church delegates.

BY JENNIFER KUSAPA

THE Court of Appeal has quashed the decision of the High Court imposing a stay of proceedings on the case of Nelson Maeta and other two co-accused.

The recent Court of Appeal heard recently has allowed the prosecution’s appeal and ruled the case be remitted to the Magistrates Court for trial.

The decision said that the magistrate court has an obligation to conduct criminal trials in accordance with the Constitution, being a fair trial within a reasonable time before an independent and impartial tribunal and that it therefore must have been endowed with the powers to achieve that objective.

“We therefore do not rule out the existence of the power of stay but the circumstances in which such a power falls to be exercised are not matter to be found within this appeal and therefore we cannot assist the parties to this appeal with any definitive statement of principle,” The Court of Appeal judges said.

This is the case against Gordon Mark, Nelson Maeta and John Nelson Ross.

Previously their defence lawyers applied for a permanent stay on their case on issues of jurisdiction.

In 2016, the High Court granted a permanent stay of the criminal proceedings in which the prosecution has appealed the High Court’s decision.

The allegation said the trio were charged in relation to the allegation between November 1 and 30, 2011 where the two accused and other men obtained more than $300,000 by selling the victim fake gold bars.

Police alleged the men approached the victim, Hypolite Taremae, who is the former Minister of Truth Reconciliation and Peace, at his office at Anthony Saru Building.

Police said that the men went to see the alleged victim with the intention to obtained money through false pretence and also lure him into believing their made up stories.

The men and others allegedly told Taremae that they were from Weathercoast in Guadalcanal. And in the coming days a reconciliation ceremony will take place in their village but they did not have enough money.

It was at that time they showed a picture of a gold bar to Taremae which they claimed to be in their possession, Police said.

They allegedly said they have some gold bars which were stolen by the former Guadalcanal war-lord Harold Keke that was taken from the former Ross Mining during the height of the ethnic tension.

The men also allegedly showed Taremae a certification letter from the Director of Mines that confirmed that the gold bars were gold and worth six million dollars.

Having heard from the accused and seen all the documents, Taremae was convinced.

Then on various occasions between July and November 2011, the accused men allegedly handed Taremae three gold bars in return they received $300,000.

The victim however, later found that the men lied to him and he took the “gold bars” to a dealer who confirmed they were fakes.

The bars were made from lead metal and painted with gold colour paint.

It was also alleged that the men threatened the case officer who was investigating their case that they will shoot him with a gun.

The allegation further said that the men claimed that they still have guns and will hunt for the case officer everywhere and will kill him.

BY CAROL-ANNE SULEGA

DOUGLAS Marau has been appointed Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Hon Rick Hou.

This was confirmed to Island Sun by Mr Marau himself when queried yesterday.

Marau was one of the few appointees alongside the Prime Minister’s new Chief Of Staff who is likely to be the Democratic Alliance Party (DAP) President, John Usuramo.

Marau, 31, is a Journalist by profession with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism at the Divine Word University and also holds a Post-graduate Diploma in Diplomacy and International Affairs.

Marau’s role is nothing new having being the former Press Secretary to former Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo and just recently as Press Secretary to former Opposition Leader Jeremiah Manele.

Marau is also DAP’s Public Relations Chairman.

Prior to his political engagements, he was a senior Journalist of Solomon Star.

It is understood his appointment is based on qualification, experience and merit.

When contacted, Marau confirmed receiving his appointment letter on Wednesday this week.

“I would like to sincerely thank the Prime Minister for seeing it fit in appointing me as his Press Secretary,” he said.

Island Sun understands Political Appointee (PA) of the last Government have already been given their marching orders as the Prime Minister Rick Hou is looking at undergoing a major clean up.

BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE

We are living through challenging times and as a government we must always be ready to act quickly and be flexible to bring about fresh thinking and to evolve our responses as appropriate and needed.

This statement was made the Member of Parliament for Hograno, Kia and Havulei constituency and Minister of Development Planning and Aid Coordination, Hon Jeremiah Manele who was speaking during the government house debate on Monday.

In relation to the above, he expressed that as we continue to encourage more investments in infrastructure to encourage growth, we must be critical thinkers about the kinds of infrastructure the country needs in order to compete in today and tomorrow’s economy.

“We need to raise our ambition if we want to spur economic growth for our economy and our people. We need to make the right investments in people that are critical for the country to be competitive,” Manele said.

He also pointed out that we must also ensure that these investments benefit all Solomon Islanders.

Moreover, the Minister of Planning shed some light on the financial progress in the implementation of the 2017 development budget.

“I am pleased to inform the house that as of the end of October, about 74 percent of the total funds in   the 2017 development budget have been disbursed as actuals from the Ministry of Finance and Treasury,” he said.

Manele added that the government is confident that as much as over 80 percent of the 2017 development budget will be expended by the end of the 2017 fiscal year.

He explained that some of the major programs and projects initiated and commenced in the 2017 budget will roll over into the 2018 development budget and progress and completed in 2018 and thereafter.

In closing remarks, Manele said that as we look forward for the 2018 financial year, we must take the lead and responsibility in developing our country.

“We must take the initiative and let us be enterprising. Let is not sit back and wait for others,” he said.

Manele also took the opportunity to salute Solomon Islanders who have in one way or the other taken the risk to be prosperous while contributing to the development of the private sector and our economy as a whole.

BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE

PARTNERSHIPS will be crucial, true and strategic partnerships between development stakeholders.

This sentiment was echoed on the floor of parliament on Monday by the Minister of Development Planning and Aid Coordination and Member of Parliament for Hograno, Kia and Havulei constituency, Hon Jeremiah Manele.

He took the opportunity to contribute to the motion moved by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Treasury and Member of Parliament for East Choiseul, Hon Manasseh Sogavare.

The motion and resolution under the section of 103 (1) of the constitution resolves to grant power to the Minister of Finance and Treasury to authorise the issue of monies from the consolidated fund purposely for public services.

Manele stressed how important the government’s partnership is with stakeholders in terms of developing a comprehensive reform program.

“Partnerships will be crucial, true and strategic partnerships between development stakeholders. This includes development partners, the private sector, church groups and faith based organizations and all development stake holders,” he said.

Manele stated that the government is firmly committed to working closely with our donor partners to develop a comprehensive reform programme and to access budget support from those development partners.

He alluded to say that the resolution provides an opportunity to reaffirm and to reengage with our development partners on a road map to advance and progress the implementation of the NDS (National Development Strategy).