Ramohia told to step down if he cannot lead

A NORTH Malaita public transport operator has called on premier Peter Ramohia to step down if he cannot lead the province. Elton Osiagalo made the call after Mr Ramohia announced last week during the province’s second appointed day celebration, their intention to pursue a sovereign state. “The announcement is nothing short of breaking this nation…

Officers end naval training

TWO police officers successfully completed an exercise program on board a New Zealand warship recently. They are Constable Georgina Taupongi from the Transcrime Unit and Constable Edward Sugagari from the Maritime Unit. The joint program was conducted by the HMS Wellington and funded by the Australian Defence Program. Acting Police Commissioner Juanita Matanga disclosed this…

Sore, Kuper reject accusations

SPECIAL Secretary to Prime Minister Rence Sore and the Chief of Staff George Kuper have strongly rejected claims they were garaging government vehicles they were not entitled to. The pair were accused in the Island Sun newspaper of garaging government funded vehicles while at the same time enjoying a $12,000 per month transport allowance. Mr…

Makili calls for fewer loggers

REGIONAL Director Pacific Islands for US-based Earth Island Institute, Lawrence Makili, claims there is a bigger and hidden issue behind the government’s ministerial reshuffling this week. And he urged the government to quickly reduce the number of logging companies currently operating in the country and stop further applications. He also claimed the reshuffling exercise was…

Makili queries timber consultation process

THE Solomon Islands Sawn Timber Industry’s recent consultation with New Zealand Timber Industry has come under question from former Greenpeace forest campaigner Lawrence Makili. Mr Makili queried the process to establish a third party for certification of sawn timbers by farmers to overseas buyers, this must be done transparently.  “The way I see it, the…

Premier defends wealth

What I owned are from my sweat, says Renbel’s Singamoana RENBEL premier Collin Singamoana has defended his level of wealth, saying he was a businessman before going into politics. This followed accusations from west Rennell landowners that Mr Singamoana had accumulated so much wealth since he became the premier of the nation’s smallest province. The…

Father to stand trial for rape

THE court has found sufficient evidence against a father accused of raping his daughter in April this year in east Guadalcanal to stand trial in the High Court. Principal Magistrate Edwin Saramo made his findings during the short form preliminary inquiry into the case of the 65-year-old father from Temotu. Michael Holara of Public Solicitor’s…

Taskforce formed to probe fraud

A TASK to investigate into allegations that it had lost millions of dollars of legally due revenue as result of fraudulent deals by logging operators and customs&exercise officials will be formed. It was a move by the current government, the Prime Ministers Office announcement on Thursday. The investigation follows revelation by former Minister of Forestry,…

Lawyer ordered to explain absence

LAWYER of one of the men accused of robbing the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) at the Kwaimani Building last year has been ordered to explain his absence from court on August 20. The matter against the three accused, Severio Sulimae, Dilo Faiga and Security Officer Joe Silas has been adjourned for a few times now…