The Government and Opposition have publicly welcomed investigations into the 33 controversial bauxite shipments from West Rennell, even as sharp differences emerge over how the probe should be conducted.
 The Ministry of Mines,Energy and Rural Electrification has endorsed Opposition Leader Manasseh Sogavare’s support for the investigation.Â
Sogavare was Prime Minister when the shipments in question were approved.
“Given his position as Prime Minister at the time, we encourage him to provide any information that could assist our investigations,” MMERE said in a statement.
Sogavare, in his earlier statement, welcomed efforts now underway to establish the facts.
“The people of Solomon Islands deserve clear answers on this issue,” he said in a statement.
Both sides agree that the GREAT Coalition Government has pushed ahead with a transparent investigation where previous administrations did not act.
MMERE has described the investigation as the primary mechanism for establishing accountability and clarity.
Sogavare has argued it should play a supporting role, saying the real priority is recovering unpaid royalties through an existing High Court case.
“This matter must be approached first and foremost as a debt recovery issue,” Sogavare said.Â
“The High Court proceedings already on foot must remain the principal vehicle for recovering that debt.” Sogavare added.
He said the investigation must not distract from, duplicate, or complicate the court proceedings.
 The Opposition has called on Attorney-General Gabriel Suri to recuse himself from APID-specific matters connected to the investigation.
Sogavare said Suri had opposed the restoration of APID to the Company Haus register — a step that was necessary to allow the High Court claim for unpaid royalties to continue.
“The Attorney-General cannot credibly be at the center of an APID recovery process when he previously objected to the restoration of APID to the register,” Sogavare said.
He called for conflict-free officers or independent persons to oversee the investigation so that court proceedings can continue without controversy.
This is not about stopping the investigation,” he said. “It is about protecting the integrity of the Government’s debt recovery effort and ensuring public confidence in the process.
Sogavare has called for the final findings to be made public.
“Once the investigation is completed, we believe the findings should be made public so that the people of Solomon Islands can have confidence in the outcome and understand the facts established through the process,” he said.
The 33 bauxite shipments have been the subject of allegations of unpaid royalties, questionable approvals, and years of inaction by successive governments.
Both Government and Opposition have publicly stated that an investigation is necessary.
Sogavare said what the country needs is “a clean, credible and conflict-free process, with the High Court recovery proceedings given the prominence they deserve.
