Court convicts senior public officer for official corruption following JANUS investigation

JANUS, the joint taskforce between the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) and the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MoFT) has arrested and charged the Principle Accountant in the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock for one count of official corruption contrary to Section 91(b) of the Penal Code Ch 26.

The Principle Accountant was also the project officer for the Waisisi Wairokai Palm Oil Project in West Are’are in Malaita Province.
It is alleged that between 2 and 3 July 2018, the defendant attempted to bribe a female Principle Internal Auditor in the MoFT with $5,000.00 to stop the work to audit the Project. The matter was reported to the Principle Auditor in the MoFT and later sent to JANUS to investigate.

Supervising Director of the National Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) Superintendent Michael Bole says, “The defendant appeared before the Deputy Chief Magistrate at the Honiara Magistrate’s Court who found him guilty of the charge. The defendant has been remanded in custody at the Rove Correctional Centre on 23 September 2020.”

“The offender is to appear before Honiara Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday 7 October 2020 for sentencing.”

Superintendent Bole says, “I want to acknowledge the efforts and effectiveness of JANUS for bringing such actions to the Courts to ensure corruption is weeded out from within the public service.”

“These Investigations are very complicated and rely on the presentation of a large number of relevant documents from institutions, and evidence presented by Crown witnesses that prove our case before the Court.”

“I calls on all institutions who are served with Court Orders, upon the RSIPF’s application, to provide the relevant documents as soon as possible once they are served. Please assist RSIPF to fight corruption in our country,” says Superintendent Bole.