Police at Lata in the Temotu Province are investigating a road block allegedly erected on a road leading to the Neano’ole Ward on Santa Cruz Island on 22 April 2018 by a group of people opposed to a prospecting licence issued to an overseas company.
The road block was erected to stop a company representative from visiting the area where prospecting will take place.
Police at the Lata Police Station attended to the incident after a local company providing security for the prospecting company representative called for assistance. The road block has since been cleared by local communities with assistance from the Police.
Provincial Police Commander, Temotu Province Superintendent James Toaki says, “Since the road block representatives of the churches in Lata, the Temotu Provincial Government and police at Lata mediated a meeting between those who supported and those who were opposed to the prospecting licence.”
PPC Toaki explains: “On 27 April both sides signed a MoU which outlines the set up a taskforce compromising representatives of the supporters of the prospecting, those who are opposed to it, the prospecting company as well as the Temotu Provincial Government. The Taskforce will conduct community consultations on the prospecting before the license expires.”
PPC Toaki says, “My officers and officers of the Correctional Services Solomon Islands (CSSI) maintained a presence at the venue of the meeting to ensure no one disturbed the mediation process.”
Mr Toaki says, “Police are currently investigating the road block issue although there was the mediation between the two groups.”
“I want to call on members of the two groups to respect what they have agreed in the MoU and not to take the law into their own hands. There are legal processes available to deal with such matters. Police will take action against any member of the community who does not respect the country’s laws,” warns PPC Toaki.
The Solomon Islands Traffic Act states that any person who throws any object at any vehicle on a road or at any person in or on such vehicle, or who places any object on any road or by any means impedes the progress of any vehicle whereby injury or damage might be caused to such vehicle or to any other vehicle or to any person, shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine of two hundred dollars or to imprisonment for three months.