Police say Konofilia breached bail conditions linked to his 2021 sedition case, but supporters accuse authorities of using the law to silence dissent
by Georgina Maka’a
Police say they are remanding Moffat Joel Konofilia because he breached bail conditions he was granted prior to his travel to the United Kingdom in September 2022.
Konofilia, seen by many as an activist and revered by others as a hero, was re-arrested and remanded in police custody after his return from the UK last Tuesday where has been living over the last two years.
His detention sparked outrage amongst his supporters, friends and family, who called for his immediate release and accused the Government of “weaponising the police” for their own political interest.
But in a statement issued this morning in the wake of the public and family outrage, police say Konofilia’s detention was in relation to his outstanding criminal case of 2021.
The former 48-year-old soccer star faces two counts: Count 1, sedition contrary to section 3(1)(i) of the Sedition Act, and Count 2, taking part in unlawful assembly contrary to section 74 of the Penal Code.
The charges were in relation to the November 2021 riots in Honiara, which broke out after calls by a group of Malaitans for then Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare to step down went unheeded.
Konofilia was one of many Malaitans police charged.
While his case was before the Honiara Magistrates Court, his lawyer asked the court to review Konofolia’s bail conditions to allow him to travel to the UK on a sport-related trip.
The Court granted the request and Konofolia was allowed to travel on condition that he returns for his next court appearance.
Police say during the 2022 review of the bail hearing, Konofilia provided an address in the UK, which police later found not to be genuine.
“He was actually misleading the court,” police said.
It’s understood on arrival in the UK, Konofilia decided to seek asylum status from the UK Government to allow him to live and work in the United Kingdom. His request was made on the basis that he was politically persecuted in his home country.
But he was still waiting for the outcome of his application when police in the UK arrested and charged him for sexually assaulting a teenage girl.
He was living on the Bibby Stockholm barge in Portland, Dorset, when he carried out the attack in nearby Weymouth on 15 December 2023, the UK media reported.
Konofilia denied a charge of sexual assault but was found guilty following a trial.
He however escaped jail after asking the court during mitigation not to send him to prison as he needed to support his wife and children.
He also thanked the UK Government for “looking after me” and said he was a good citizen, UK media reported.
Konofilia returned home after the court case.
Solomon Islands police say they’ve asked the Magistrate Courts to detain Konofilia for 14 days, to allow them to prepare for trial.
Konofilia returns to Court on 13 November 2025.
Police asked the public to remain calm and allow the court process to take its course.
Meanwhile, Konofilia’s elder brother Rex Konofilia, an elected member of the Honiara City Council, described his sibling as a “patriotic Solomon Islander”.
“He loves his people and his nation deeply – so much so that he often sacrifices his own wellbeing to stand up for what many of us believe in but are not bold enough to openly pursue,” Rex Konofilia said.
He added that his younger brother is a living testament to what it means to “walk the talk”.
“He’s a warrior at heart. He has fallen victim to a cause that many of us, not only Malaitans, but fellow Solomon islanders believed in but choose to watch in silence from the sidelines.
“Now that he is in custody awaiting his next appearance, it is time for us to show support and stand with him during these dark moments.
“It is time to act. He needs legal advice and representation to fight his case – a case that bears no solid evidence yet continues to be pursued on grounds unclear to many of us.”
