It is a house that has suddenly become the centre of a political storm.
Since November last year, Solomon Islands Government has been paying SBD$100,000 to rent a little-known property at Tolu Street, Lengakiki, for the Ministry of Forestry and Research.
The twist?
The property is registered to Prime Minister Matthew Wale.
That has prompted the Opposition to ask a simple but potentially explosive question: Is the Government getting value for money, and was the rental arrangement handled properly?
However, the Forestry Ministry came out this afternoon to say the controversy is being stripped of important context.
“The tenancy began in November last year, months before Wale became Prime Minister in May 2026,” a statement the ministry issued said.
At the time, Wale was the Leader of Opposition.
The Ministry says it needed additional office space and selected the property because it was suitable and located close to its existing headquarters.
It also says the arrangement was properly processed and that the Government has already provided key documents to the Public Accounts Committee.
Still, Opposition Leader Manasseh Sogavare is not satisfied.
For him, the issue is bigger than who signed the agreement or when it was signed.
“It is about public money, transparency and the Prime Minister’s registered interest in the property,” Sogavare, a four-time former prime minister, insisted.
The property, identified as Parcel No. 191-015-058, was a residential home. It was Wale’s family home.
It sits only a short walk from the Forestry Ministry’s headquarters at Lengakiki.
The Ministry says the premises now accommodate about 15 staff, including additional project personnel.
The rental arrangement was entered into with THM Logistics Limited, which Company Haus records showed, is owned by Tamra Wale, the prime minister’s daughter.
But Sogavare says a certified Certificate of Title it obtained identifies Wale as the registered Fixed Term Estate holder.
He also says the title does not show THM Logistics as a registered lessee or sublessee.
“What legal authority did THM Logistics have to lease the property to the Government?” Sogavare questioned.
“If THM Logistics held valid authority from the registered proprietor, whether through a power of attorney, agency appointment, head lease, sublease or another lawful instrument, then the Government should produce that document,” the Opposition leader added.
Sogavare said his concern centres on the fact that public money is now being paid in connection with a property over which the Prime Minister holds the registered Fixed Term Estate.
Sogavare said he acknowledged that the arrangement predates Wale’s prime ministership.
But he argues that the Government still has an obligation to explain the circumstances surrounding the expenditure.
“This is a test of leadership,” Sogavare said.
“The Prime Minister has spoken repeatedly about integrity, accountability and zero tolerance for abuse of public office.”
Those principles, he said, must also apply when public funds are connected to the Prime Minister’s registered land interest.
He questioned how the SBD$100,000 monthly rental was determined.
Sogavare also wants to know why the property was selected, what process was followed and whether the Government obtained a proper valuation.
In response, the Ministry says the rental rate was subject to an established process involving the accountable officer and the landlord.
It says the Government Housing Division was involved and the terms of the Tenancy Agreement formed part of that process.
“The property was selected because of an urgent need for office space and its proximity to the Forestry headquarters,” it added.
The Opposition, however, wants to see the paperwork behind those explanations.
Sogavare says other Government ministries have paid more than SBD$200,000 a month to rent multiple floors of commercial office space in Honiara while their permanent headquarters were being constructed.
But he questions whether $100,000 a month represents value for money for the Forestry premises.
The Ministry’s response is that the premises currently accommodate around 15 staff, rather than the six staff initially cited by the Opposition.
PAC Scrutiny
This issue came to public attention through the Public Accounts Committee, which is responsible for scrutinising Government expenditure.
Sogavare is a member of the Committee.
He says supporting documents requested by the PAC were not all available during its recent hearing.
However, the Ministry says the circumstances surrounding the tenancy were already explained to the PAC.
According to the Ministry, the Committee was told that the agreement was entered into before Wale became Prime Minister.
It also says the tenancy is due for review in October this year.
The Ministry says it has already provided PAC with the Tenancy Agreement, the relevant company extract, occupancy schedules and available financial records.
It acknowledges that some additional supporting documents were not supplied within the initial timeframe because of difficulties accessing the records.
The Ministry says it is continuing to locate and provide those documents.
