Opposition leader Manasseh Sogavare has urged Attorney General Gabriel Suri to stand aside from current investigations into the controversial 33 shipments of bauxite.
The Government initiated the investigation, and Suri has ordered the Director of Mines, Christa Tatapu, to provide all documents relating to the shipments.
The 33 shipments came from West Rennell mining operations carried out by Bintan Mining SI Ltd, an Asian firm contracted by mining lease-holder Asia Pacific Investment Development (APID).
Government, provincial authorities, and landowners were not paid royalties totalling SBD$8.6 million from the shipments made between 2017 and 2019.
At the time, Suri – who owns Suri’s Law Practice – was the legal counsel for APID.
In a statement, Sogavare said Suri should fully recuse himself from all APID-related matters, whether in court proceedings, legal advice, Cabinet processes, official correspondence, or any investigative or enforcement decisions.
“All APID-related work should be delegated to law officers or independent counsel who are free from any actual or apparent conflict of interest,” the Opposition leader said.
Bauxite stolkpile in Lavangu, West Rennel, awaiting shipment in 2020. Credits: Charley Piringi/IDS
He added that Prime Minister Matthew Wale should publicly clarify what safeguards, screening arrangements, or recusal measures have been put in place since Suri’s appointment.
“Any ongoing APID-related investigation should continue under arrangements that protect its independence and safeguard the integrity of existing court proceedings,” Sogavare said.
“Solomon Islands cannot afford a culture where conflicts of interest are ignored until public confidence is broken. Public office carries a duty to avoid even the appearance that prior loyalties might influence present decisions.”
Sogavare said the issue has now become a serious test of integrity in public office, the independence of legal decision-making, and public confidence in the administration of justice.
When contacted, Suri told In-Depth Solomons he was not involved in the operational aspects of APID’s mining activities or the shipment of bauxite from West Rennell when he acted as the company’s lawyer.
He said he represented APID in defending its mining lease when it was challenged by landowners and later cancelled by former Mines Minister Bradley Tovosia.
“I also represented APID in its legal action against its contractor, Bintan Mining, over unpaid contractual monies, including royalties,” Suri said.
“But I was not involved in operational matters, and I was not involved in any shipments, including the 33 shipments,” he added.
Sogavare said the Opposition will continue to monitor the matter closely and pursue full accountability through the appropriate constitutional and parliamentary channels.
You must be logged in to post a comment.