Members angry over delayed payment
By LACHLAN EDDIE
POLICE were again forced to mediate between frustrated members of the pyramid scheme One Link Pacifica and its operators, yesterday.
This came after disgruntled members demanded their payments from the operators for funds they’ve invested in December 2019 and January this year.
Operators of the pyramid scheme have promised members payments 30 days after deposit.
But the scheme is showing signs of collapsing after operators failed to live up to their promises.
Yesterday, members congregated at the group’s office in Chinatown demanding their payment, but there were no signs of the operators.
They took the matter to the Central Police Station and police have to summon one of the scheme’s directors, Charles Dora, to the station.
“We are not happy with the delayed payment,” one member told the Solomon Star.
“They promised us 30 days after we deposited our money with them, we should receive our payouts, but now it’s almost 100 days,” another added.
Those who gathered at the Central Police Station were not only frustrated but were obviously angry.
When Dora arrived at the station, he told the members that some names were on the scheme’s “manual list” while others are on “online”.
He claimed those who are on “online” are being paid on their due date.
It was those on the “manual list” that they face problems with, he added.
Whether those on the manual list will ever get paid is not known, but the frustration was obvious on One Link’s Facebook page.
In there, members have been spewing verbal abuse at the scheme’s directors, calling them all sorts of names.
The Central Bank of Solomon Islands recently warned the public to avoid joining the pyramid scheme.
It said the scheme is on the verge of collapsing.
Monday’s gathering was not the first of such an event.
In the last two weeks, police have to mediate between angry members and their mentors also at the Central Police Station.
Acting Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau said last week the mediations were to ensure there’s an understanding between mentors and their members.
Mangau said although people are frustrated over the delay of payments, no reports or complaints have been received by the police by members of the scheme itself.
“So far the police have not received reports from anyone who invested in this scheme or from anyone who failed to receive their payments.”
He said it is only when a formal complaint is raised before police can step in and conduct an investigation into any matter relating to One Link.
He said the reason why police conducted the mediation was to avoid any public disturbances.
“Police try to mediate the issue to ensure members of the scheme do not take the law into their own hands.”
Mangau also reiterated police stand on the operation of One Link.
“The police stand with the Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI) that the operation of One Link is illegal.
“It is illegal in terms of the Financial Institution Act on which the CBSI is the custodian of,” he said.
