TWENTY-EIGHT missing persons and murder case files from the ethnic crisis have gone missing from the Royal Solomon Islands Police headquarters.
As a result, some cases have been left unattended and could not go before the courts.
Some of the files date because police could not locate files, some of which dated back to 1998 during the initial stages of the tensions.
A well-placed police source said most of the files were of Malaitans killed during the ethnic crisis.
The files allegedly went missing in 2004 straight after the Regional Assistance Mission (RAMSI) arrived to clean up the mess.
Andrew Fioga was one of those whose father went missing, allegedly murdered, in June 1998 at Dereni, Konga, central Guadalcanal.
In an exclusive interview, Mr Fioga said he had rubbed shoulders with prominent figures, wrote letters to heads of police and lawyers, trying to locate where his father was since 1998.
Since then he had learnt that, the most confidential documents along with similar documents containing similar cases, have gone missing from the police headquarters.
“The question I wanted to ask is where the files are and how could the most important files gone missing? Who removed them?” Mr Fioga asked.
Documents obtained by the Solomon Star showed Mr Fioga has written several letters addressed to the Director of Public Prosecutions Ronald Bei Talasasa, former Police Commissioner Jahir Khan, Deputy Commissioner Walter Kola and Honiara City Commander Peter Aoraunisaka.
In 2008, Mr Fioga wrote a letter dated 21st May 2008 that was addressed to former Commissioner of Police Jahir Khan.
The letter was also addressed to the Minister of Police National Security and Justice, Minister of National Unity, Reconciliation and Peace, Speaker of Parliament and the Leader of Opposition.
Mr Fioga questioned why local police and the Participating Police Force have failed to arrest those responsible for the murder of his father, thus delaying the case.
He told the Solomon Star because he received no reply from the police, he had to dig up the matter on his own which he then found out that the case could not go before the courts because the police files were missing.
“The reason I wanted to locate this file is because I wanted to withdraw the case with the advice from the DPP and Honiara City Commander Peter Aoraunisaka,” Mr Fioga said.
“This is because I am now a man of God and I believe that change can only come through reconciliation and forgiveness and that’s what I’m going to do,” he said.
Mr Fioga has been holding talks with the Guadalcanal provincial government and the police to arrange a reconciliation ceremony that would see his father’s body returned for proper burial.
Just recently, the DPP Mr Talasasa in a letter dated 16th February 2010 addressed to the Police Commissioner, questioned the commissioner’s office if an enquiry file of the deceased Jacinth Fioga was opened.
“Whilst this case will become a matter for the DPP and the Police to address, I would like to know if an enquiry file has been opened and wether we can discuss further as to what action we may wish to adopt,” Mr Talasasa stated in his letter.
The DPP confirmed to the Solomon Star that the letter he wrote was to enquire with police in relation to this matter.
“At this stage I’m not in a position to say the files are missing because it’s with the police but I’ve asked them to follow up on the case and report back to me,” Mr Talasasa said yesterday.
“Until then, I will wait for any response from the police commissioner’s office,” he said.
According to documents the Solomon Star obtained, the Deputy Commissioner Walter Kola on the 20th last month replied to Mr Talasasa stating that the matter has been forwarded to the assistant commissioner (crime & investigations) to be looked at.
Mr Kola also confirmed to the Solomon Star yesterday that he has written a letter requesting that the files be located.
“I have referred the matter to the crime and investigations unit but if the files are missing there is a possibility that the cases can be re-activated,” Mr Kola told Solomon Star yesterday.
The Solomon Star understands that a number of families have been enquiring about the ethnic crisis missing person’s police files but the problem was that the documents could not be located.
Therefore, suspects that were involved in the crimes could not be brought to justice.
“I think people would want to know where the documents are because it is essential for justice to be done.
“But as for my case I wanted the file located so that I could withdraw it and have it reconciled outside the court,” Mr Fioga said.
By DOUGLAS MARAU
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