Solomons watchdog calls for removal of Forestry Minister

Transcript

A Solomon Islands corruption watchdog wants the Forestry Minister Bodo Dettke removed after allegations he granted exemptions to a family-owned logging company.

Transparency Solomon Islands says Mr Dettke granted an Agro Forestry Exemption in April to Solomon Resources Management Ltd for land on Mono in the Shortland Islands.

The exemption allows the company to clear the land for use as coconut and betelnut plantations effectively bypassing the need for a logging licence.

A TSI official Edward Ronia, says Mr Dettke had been the company's Director since 1996 and only sold the shares to his sister in January this year.

Mr Ronia told Koroi Hawkins this is what TSI has feared since Mr Dettke's appointment as Forestry Minister in December last year.

EDWARD RONIA: So we see this as a strong area of conflict of interest. When we raised that initially in December LCC Leadership Code Commission also agreed with us that this is, that his appointment would not be in the best interests of the country because of the a person that would have a lot of conflicts of interest in terms of the in the area of logging. But his lawyer said that LCC was going beyond its ambit of its areas of jurisdiction. So we are saying that this is the area that we were concerned about and therefore we are calling on the prime minister to remove the appointment of Mr Dettke on as a Minister for Forestry and Agriculture.

KOROI HAWKINS: And have the government responded to your calls for his removal?

EDWARD RONIA: Not yet we hope they will. We are, we will continue to press the issue and this is the fist time that we are putting this on the papers so we are hoping that government is going to respond to this article.

KH: And are you calling for revoking that permit that has also been granted as well?

ER:If that can be done that would be good but at the same time to remove the minister that is the best in the interest of the nation.

KH: In relation to the application or the starting of operations, do you know if the company has already began clearing or logging on this land?

ER: I am sorry I am not in a position to tell you details. But we already know that in the light of that in the light of that exemption the conflicting parties were not happy with each other, those who supported it and those who didn't and it has resulted in the death of a person already. So it is a serious issue to bring to the public's notice.

KH: So there has been some unrest in regards to the granting of this exemption?

ER: Yes we know it is a serious area and the government should heed, I mean because we are close to the people, we know the people and we understand situation. And when we raise issues like that and it is ignored and in the end the results show what we are concerned about. We thing the government should be giving a more listening ear to people who know what is happening on the ground.