Kimi new census chief

DOUGLAS Kimi who is the Government Statistician is now the new 2019 National Census Commissioner. Caretaker Prime Minister Rick Hou officially announced this on Monday as the country is heading towards the next National Census in November. He said the announcement was made in accordance to the Census Act (Chapter 53). “I now invoke Section…

Kenilorea: 2019 Elections a crucial one

LEADER of United Party (UP) Peter Kenilorea Junior says the 2019 National General Election is a crucial one for Solomon Islands given the first election to be held after RAMSI’s departure. Kenilorea highlighted this during the launching of his counterpart Party candidate for West Honiara John Kwaita on Sunday. “Every elections is important but the…

Murray to be sentenced March 29

THE former permanent secretary for the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID), Henry Murray will be sentenced on March 29. This followed the sentencing submissions and mitigation made on his case on Monday in the Honiara Magistrates’ Court. Murray was convicted last year of defrauding the government of more than 700, 000. He was found guilty…

Wong is a foreigner, says DPP Talasasa

THE witness in the fraud trial of the outgoing MP for Savo/Russell Constituency, Dickson Mua, is a foreign national. The witness is Albert Wong, owner of Honiara-based Oceanic Marine Ltd. Director of Public Prosecutions, Ronald Bei Talasasa said this is what is important for our citizens to understand. Talasasa made this clarification after he noticed…

HOU EYES 3RD TERM

Caretaker PM confident of securing seat By ANDREW FANASIA CARETAKER Prime Minister Rick Hou says he’s confident of securing his Small Malaita seat and returning for a third term in Parliament. Hou expressed his confidence in his final press conference as prime minister with reporters, Tuesday. He’s leaving office this week to concentrate on his…

Accused died after long illness

CASE ENDS SUDDENLY By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN THE long-running case of one of the first persons to be charged in connection with the $10 million scandal in the Ministry of Health and Medical Services has come to a sudden end. This was after accused John Biliki, who faces 15 counts of false pretence and 15 counts…

Kemakeza loses ‘Sir’

Former PM stripped of knighthood title Former Prime Minister Allan Kemakeza has already lost the knighthood title he was awarded in 2001 and should not be referred to as “Sir Allan” again. The Government House clarified this on Saturday, following recent references by the media to Kemakeza as “Sir Allan”. “Following the revocation of the…

Oil spill ruins MPA 

THE Marine Protected Area (MPA) at Lavangu Bay was completely destroyed by spilled oil from the wrecked MV Solomon Trader that runs aground inside the MPA boundary.  Solomon Star has visited the devastated site last Saturday and witnessed that the MPA owned by a coastal community within the largest bay of the island was polluted,…

Hou wants mining lease investigated

CARETAKER Prime Minister Rick Hou has instructed the Director of Mines to undertake a full review of the processes involved in the assessment and award of the Mining Lease to APID. Hou’s announcement came in the wake of the oil spill disaster on Rennell after a bulk carrier miner’s Bintan chartered to load its bauxites…