Abae accuses Sore for unfair removal of HCC Deputy Treasurer
By IAN M.KAUKUI
THE former Finance Chair of the Honiara City Council (HCC) Billy Abae has accused City Clerk Rence Sore of the unfair removal of the Council’s Deputy Treasurer.
Speaking to the Solomon Star from his home in East Malaita, Cr Abae described the sacking of the deputy treasurer Obedson Pina as politically motivated.
He was responding to a front-page article published by the Sunday Star yesterday, revealing a ploy by certain Councillors to destabilise the Mamae-government.
It was reported by HCC insiders that certain city councillors are scheming to dismantle the current HCC Executive led by Mayor Wilson Mamae for their own political gains.
They said the barrage of allegations and claims levelled against the council administration and the City Clerk are mere political ploys to overthrow the current executive.
Recently the HCC administration and the City Clerk were heavily criticised by the sacked finance committee chairman Cr Billy Abae over their handling of the fire extinguisher deal which was alleged to be marred with fraud.
However, Cr Abae told this paper that a person in his or her right mind can tell that the media exposures are for the sake of public interest.
“We want to tell citizens of Honiara the type of leadership that controls the Honiara City Council (HCC).
“There is no hidden agenda by any Councillor. It is only me that has been exposing the dirty dealings within the Council,” Abae said when asked if he has any idea of the ploy to remove City Mayor Wilson Mamae.
Cr Abae instead told this paper to investigate the sacking of the Deputy Treasurer of the Honiara City Council (HCC).
If you look at the whole issue, there is something going on behind my sacking and so as the sacking of Mr Pina.
“In fact, we were working on compiling a financial report on the spending of an $18,000,000.00 first-quarter report to be presented to the Full Council for debate.
“Before we complete the report, I got terminated,” Abae said.
Abae said he later noted that the Deputy Treasurer was sacked early this month for non-performance in his 3 months of probation after commencing work on February 2020.
“This shows that something fishy is going on behind the scene, which demands our sacking,” Cr Abae said.
He also revealed that the sacking of the Pina has nothing to do with non-performance but politically motivated.
Pina begins his role as the HCC Deputy Treasurer on the 10th February 2020 after he was shortlisted and gone through a tough selection panel.
Abae told the paper on Sunday, the selection of Pina clearly indicated that he was the best out of those accepted applicants and those shortlisted and interviewed given his experience.
“So I believed Pina’s sacking has nothing to do with non-performance as claimed but due to his eagerness to set things right within the finance division which may not go down well with the bosses,” he said.
He said it seems that the removal of the deputy treasurer was purely politicised based on the suspicion that he might expose financial dealing s that best left untouched.
“I know the removal was merely to do with the suspicion that he is the one who gave me the financial information which I eventually exposed in the media,” he said.
When contacted him yesterday, Pina confirmed his termination but refused to make any further comments.
He said he had evidence with him but will expose them all when he is ready.
The Solomon Star also made attempts to get comments from the City Clerk, Rence Sore on the matter raised.
However, he refused to answer five attempted calls this paper made to his mobile phone.