Court acquits Tech Hub break-in accused
after upholding no-case submission
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
The Honiara Magistrates' Court has acquitted the alleged principal accused in the Tech Hub shop break-in case.
This was the court found the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence requiring him to answer the charge.
Principal Magistrate Felix Hollison on Tuesday upheld the no case to answer submission.
The no case to answer submission was filed by the defence at the close of the prosecution case, for the defendant Frank Firimolea under section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Magistrate Hollison dismissed the charge of housebreaking and acquitting him forthwith.
In his ruling, Magistrate Hollison said he was not satisfied that the prosecution had made out a case against Firimolea sufficiently to require him to enter a defence.
"The charge is dismissed and the defendant is acquitted forthwith," he ruled.
Firimolea had pleaded not guilty to one count of housebreaking contrary to section 300(a) of the Penal Code.
The prosecution closed its case after calling only one witness, the investigating officer in this case.
The investigating officer testified that he identified Firimolea from CCTV footage obtained from the Tech Hub shop based on the defendant's body structure and the way he walked.
He told the court the offender captured on the footage was wearing a mask that completely covered his face, but said he was confident it was Firimolea because of his physical build and manner of walking.
During cross-examination, defence counsel challenged the identification evidence, arguing that the suspect's face was entirely obscured and that no fingerprint, forensic or other scientific evidence linked Firimolea to the alleged break-in.
The court noted there was no dispute that someone had broken into the Tech Hub shop and stolen mobile phones and other property on January 31, 2025.
However, the central issue was whether the prosecution had sufficiently proved that the person shown in the CCTV footage was the defendant.
Magistrate Hollison found that the prosecution had failed to establish that crucial element.
"It is my considered view that the identification done by the only Crown witness is not sufficient and does not meet the threshold of positively identifying someone," he said, referring to the High Court decision in R v Goufi.
The magistrate also observed that while police had recovered some of the stolen property from other suspects during the investigation, no stolen items were recovered from Firimolea.
In a strongly worded ruling, Magistrate Hollison criticised both the police investigation and the prosecution's handling of the case.
"It is apparent that this case was poorly investigated which resulted in the sloppy prosecutorial work as demonstrated in this case," he said.
He added that prosecutors have a responsibility to properly assess the strength of the Crown's evidence before proceeding to trial and noted that the Criminal Procedure Code provides alternative procedures to terminate cases where the evidence is clearly insufficient.
The court also noted that the prosecution, in its written submissions responding to the defence application, acknowledged that "the evidence might not be sufficient" and left the issue for the court to determine.
The charge relates to an alleged break-in at the Tech Hub shop in Honiara between 4am and 5am on January 31, 2025.
Police alleged more than 80 mobile phones, including iPhones and a Samsung Galaxy S21, together with $560 in cash, were stolen during the incident.
Firimolea was tried separately from four co-accused, Stephen Yim, Jared Meke, Andrew Kiriau and former Tech Hub employee Jimmy Kiriau.
Their case are pending in the Honiara Magistrate’s Court awaiting the outcome of their High Court appeal challenging the admissibility of their police interview records.
Although acquitted in the Tech Hub matter, Firimolea will remain in custody over a separate criminal case pending before the Honiara Magistrates' Court.
He is jointly charged with Donsia Deresi and Rickson Suiti Abana over the alleged break-in at the Red Star Shop warehouse in Kukum on August 29, 2025.
Police allege the three men, together with others, broke into the warehouse and stole property valued at approximately $2 million, including 22 bags of beche-de-mer and $100,000 in cash.
That matter is scheduled for trial from August 31 to September 11, 2026.
///Ends////
AgriConnect proposed for Solomon Islands
Wednesday 29 July, Honiara – World Bank representatives have highlighted that there is an opportunity for Solomon Islands to benefit from its AgriConnect initiative.
AgriConnect is a World Bank Group initiative to help smallholder farmers move from subsistence to surplus. It is a platform that brings together farmers, business, government, and development partners to unlock opportunities across the agricultural value chain and transform agriculture to create more jobs, raise income levels for 300 million farmers, and improve global food security.
World Bank’s Senior Agriculture Specialist, Mr. Abimbola Adubi made a presentation on AgriConnect in Honiara on Friday 17 July 2025 at the Heritage Park Hotel, in the presence of the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Hon Franklyn Derek Wasi, Permanent Secretary, Dr Samson Viulu and officials from the Ministry and representatives from the Ministry of National Planning and Development Coordination (MNPDC) and the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MOFT).
Mr. Adubi was in Honiara leading a World Bank team for the seventh implementation support mission for the Solomon Islands Agriculture Rural Transformation (SIART) Project from 13 – 17 July, 2026.
SIART Project is a World Bank-funded initiative by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) aiming to boost agricultural production, improve market access, and build resilient rural livelihoods across Guadalcanal, Malaita, and Makira/Ulawa provinces.
The project, which ends in December this year, centers on supporting farmers and agri-entrepreneurs through structured Agribusiness Producer Organizations (ABPOs).
With the achievements of the SIART and its sustainability in mind after the project ends, the World Bank is proposing the introduction of AgriConnect
“In terms of sustainability and next steps, this is where the element of AgriConnect becomes very important,” Mr. Adubi.
This will enhance productivity and ensure that the small and medium scale agribusinesses are functioning and are creating employment.
Minister of Agriculture, Hon Wasi made known his support towards these discussions and re-emphasized on the need for continuity in the SIART project by building on the successes and achievements of the project.
“Similar to the AgriConnect of PNG including initiatives to strengthen the commercial capacities of Agribusiness Producer Organizations (ABPOs) in order for them to be able to be bankable.
“Agriculture in Solomon Islands need further support in terms of economic infrastructures for value adding and post-harvest storages, reliable and affordable transport schemes, credit-worthiness for rural based entrepreneurs, access to markets through farmer-market networks and others,” the Minister said.
To date the SIART Project has established and supports the operations of 96 Agribusiness Producer Organizations (ABPOs), 45 in Malaita Province, 32 in Guadalcanal Province and 19 in Makira/Ulawa Province.
With this, there’s the opportunity to bring in the private sector based on the achievements of the SIART Project and explore how AgriConnect can come into play in Solomon Islands.
“We won’t allow the good work done by SIART to stop when the project ends. We want to find a way of resonating it and bring in private sector attention in line with the AgriConnect program,” Mr. Adubi said.
The World Bank plans to workshop the AgriConnect initiative with key stakeholders, private sector, Government and all value chain actors in Solomon Islands in the not-too-distant future.
This will create a platform of awareness to explore opportunities for the private sector to invest in the agriculture sector and play a vital role through the AgriConnect initiative in such a way that supports the creation of jobs and enhance productivity in Solomon Islands and ensure that the value chains are active.
- SIART Media Release
BY TONY IROGA
Police yesterday confirmed the first fatality of the Gold Ridge mining landslide incident.
The body of a man was recovered from the rubble at 10am yesterday, a police statement yesterday said.
Police identified the deceased as Ashley Olo, originally from the Weather Coast of Guadalcanal who was residing in Central Guadalcanal.
The landslide occurred at the Pit-1 of the Gold Ridge Mining Limited (GRML) at around 2am Monday morning this week.
Police said its officers worked closely with GRML security personnel to recover the body before handing it over to the deceased’s immediate family for burial.
Acting Police Commissioner James Aitorea said it was still too early to confirm whether more people remained trapped beneath the debris.
“It is still too early to confirm how many people are still buried underground. However, the RSIPF and GRML Security are working together on the recovery process and we will continue to provide updates,” Mr Aitorea said.
He said the landslide buried an estimated 100-metre section of the western access road leading into Pit 1.
He urges members of the public, especially those living near the mining site, to stay away while recovery operations and police investigations continue.
“Locals in the vicinity should stay clear of the site as recovery efforts continue and investigations into the incident begin,” he said.
He added that RSIPF officers and GRML security personnel were also working closely with local communities to move people away from the affected area to ensure their safety.
Police investigations into the cause of the landslide are continuing.
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Solomon Islands, US ink deal ‘strengthening cooperation to safeguard country’s vast maritime domain, protect marine resources and combat illegal activities at sea’
BY DOUGLAS VAHIA
Government has signed the Shiprider Agreement with the United States of America in Honiara.
Key benefits of the Agreement include enhanced maritime surveillance, improved enforcement against illegal activities, protection of fisheries revenue and marine resources, strengthened intelligence sharing, and increased operational capacity without the need for Solomon Islands to independently bear the full cost of advanced maritime assets.
The shiprider agreement also reinforces Solomon Islands’ sovereignty than compromise it, a statement by the PM Press Secretariat yesterday reiterated.
The signing marks a significant step forward to strengthen cooperation to safeguard the country’s vast maritime domain, protect marine resources and combat illegal activities at sea, the statement said.
The Shiprider Agreement establishes a framework allowing authorised Solomon Islands law enforcement officers to embark on designated US vessels to jointly undertake maritime surveillance and enforcement operations, the statement adds.
“Under this arrangement, Solomon Islands officers will exercise their authority in accordance with Solomon Islands law and agreed operational procedures, particularly in matters within national jurisdiction,” the statement said.
For a nation of hundreds of islands dispersed across a vast ocean, effective maritime surveillance is both critical and resource-intensive.
The statement highlights that this partnership enhances Solomon Islands’ operational capacity by providing access to additional maritime assets, surveillance platforms, technical expertise and strengthened information-sharing mechanisms.
“The Agreement will support national efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, transnational crime, illicit trafficking, and other unlawful maritime activities. It will also help safeguard fisheries and marine resources that are vital to the livelihoods and economic future of Solomon Islanders.”
It said the Government emphasises that the Shiprider Agreement is a cooperative law enforcement arrangement that reinforces, rather than compromises, Solomon Islands’ sovereignty.
“The country retains full authority over its territorial waters, Exclusive Economic Zone, and the enforcement of its laws in accordance with international law,” it said.
In addition, the Agreement presents valuable opportunities to strengthen the skills, experience, and operational capability of Solomon Islands maritime and law enforcement personnel through practical collaboration with international partners.
The Government views this Agreement as part of its broader commitment to ensure that Solomon Islands’ ocean territory and resources are protected for the benefit of its people today and for future generations.
Earlier this week Opposition Leader Manasseh Sogavare called on Prime Minister Matthew Wale to hold back on signing the shiprider agreement, saying the instrument compromises Solomon Islands’ sovereignty.
The opposition leader said in the long run this agreement could see Solomon Islands become a spectator while the US exerts its authority in our waters.
“Every version of this agreement signed elsewhere in the Pacific follows the same American template. In the near-identical text Vanuatu signed in 2016, United States vessels may act unilaterally, boarding, searching and pursuing suspect vessels in Vanuatu’s waters whenever a local shiprider is simply ‘not available’, a threshold the host country does not control. In exchange, Vanuatu received only a mirror-image right to do the same in United States waters, a right no Pacific island maritime service the size of Solomon Islands could realistically exercise.
“If Solomon Islands signs the same template, it should expect no different. Regional commentators have already identified this same imbalance in other Pacific agreements. That is not reciprocity. It is a one-way transfer of authority dressed up as an equal partnership,” Mr Sogavare said.
PM Wale however in response told a press conference after touchdown at the Honiara international airport on Monday that this was not true.
“This is not about giving up our sovereignty, do not mislead our country.
“It is about enforcing our sovereignty, enforcing our laws, and riding on, piggybacking on assets of our partners, that’s all it is,” Wale said.
Photo credit: PM Press Secretariat
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Seif Pasifik hem stat wetim waka tugeda. 🤝 Solomon Aelans en Ostrelia wetim olketa Pasifik Patnas diskas cyber sekiuriti, AI en dijitol devilopmen lo Pasifik Cyber Wik lo PNG💻🌏
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A safer, connected Pacific starts with collaboration. 🤝 Solomon Islands and Australia joined Pacific partners in PNG to discuss cyber security, AI and digital development at Pacific Cyber Week 💻🌏
Seif Pasifik hem stat wetim waka tugeda. 🤝 所罗门群岛和澳大利亚与太平洋伙伴在巴布亚新几内亚讨论网络安全、人工智能和数字发展,参与太平洋网络周💻🌏
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一个更安全、互联的太平洋始于合作。🤝 所罗门群岛与澳大利亚在巴布亚新几内亚与太平洋伙伴共同讨论网络安全、人工智能和数字发展,参与太平洋网络周💻🌏
Police, Gold Ridge Probe Fatal Landslide
Gold Ridge Mining Limited (GRML) says it is cooperating with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) in an investigation into the death of an unauthorised gold panner who was killed in a landslide inside the Gold Ridge Mine.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the company said the incident happened at approximately 12:45am on 27 July when a localised slope movement occurred on the north-west edge of the non-operational section of Open Pit 1.
Reports later indicated that the individual had illegally entered the mine's exclusion zone during the night and became trapped beneath the landslide.
Under police guidance, search and rescue operations were launched immediately, leading to the recovery of the body at around 11am on 28 July.
GRML expressed sympathy to the deceased's family and reaffirmed its commitment to cooperating with the police investigation while urging members of the public not to enter restricted mining areas or engage in illegal gold panning because of the significant safety hazards.
Solomon Islands signs Shiprider Agreement with the U.S. to strengthen maritime security and protect marine resources The Government today has signed the Shiprider Agreement with the United States of America in Honiara. The signing marks a significant step forward in strengthening cooperation to safeguard the country’s vast maritime domain, protect marine resources and combat illegal [...]
The post Solomon Islands, U.S. Sign Shiprider Agreement to Protect Maritime Domain appeared first on Tavuli News (Solomon Islands) .
MPNSCS clarifies Police Academy site works, confirming geotechnical surveys and no immediate officer evictions Honiara, 28 July 2026: The Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services (MPNSCS) and the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) are clarifying recent media reports regarding the development of the Police Academy at Rove. The Ministry confirms that activities [...]
The post Ministry of police clarifies police academy site works at Rove appeared first on Tavuli News (Solomon Islands) .
BY JOSES SAREN
The crew of US Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane (WMEC 903) arrived in Honiara yesterday as part of their ongoing Operation Blue Pacific patrol, a multi-mission Coast Guard endeavor to promote regional security and stability throughout the Pacific.
According to a statement, the arrival of the Harriet Lane in the Solomon Islands marks a pivotal moment, reaffirming the US Coast Guard’s enduring and unwavering commitment as a steadfast and reliable Pacific partner.
While in the Solomon Islands, the statement said the Harriet Lane will host representatives from the governments of both the United States and the Solomon Islands for the signing of a bilateral maritime law enforcement agreement.
Bilateral maritime law enforcement agreements enable Pacific nations to protect their sovereignty and help ensure the safety and security of sailors and vessels of all nations conducting legal maritime operations within the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Through these agreements, the host nation makes determinations regarding targeting vessels for law enforcement boardings within its Exclusive Economic Zone, identifies violations, and determines penalties and follow-on procedures.
The statement noted that the Harriet Lane crew recently assisted Papua New Guinea security forces with bilateral maritime law enforcement operations to combat illicit maritime activity in the region.
Commissioned in 1984, the Harriet Lane is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Honolulu to support Coast Guard missions in the Pacific region. The service’s medium endurance cutter fleet supports a variety of Coast Guard missions including search and rescue, law enforcement, maritime defense and protection of the marine environment.
Photo credit: US Coast Guard
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-PM Wale rejects Opposition claim shiprider agreement would surrender sovereignty
-Shiprider agreement enforces our sovereignty: PM Wale
BY JOSES SAREN
Prime Minister Matthew Wale has rejected claims that the proposed Shiprider Agreement with the United States will compromise Solomon Islands’ sovereignty, saying the country needs the arrangement more than the United States does.
Responding to a question on his arrival home yesterday afternoon on the Opposition Leader’s comments that government should not sign the agreement yet, Wale said Solomon Islands lacked enough patrol boats and fuel to police its own waters.
“This is not about giving up our sovereignty, do not mislead our country.
“It is about enforcing our sovereignty, enforcing our laws, and riding on, piggybacking on assets of our partners, that’s all it is,” Wale said.
He said the agreement treats Solomon Islands as a sovereign asset: when partner vessels — from the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Japan — operate inside the country’s 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone, local police can board alongside them to enforce Solomon Islands law, while fisheries officers can also board to act against illicit drug trafficking, poaching and unregulated and unreported fishing.
“There will always be boats in our EEZ, with law enforcement,” Wale said.
The Prime Minister said the agreement will sit within a broader comprehensive treaty with Australia, with negotiations having begun in Brisbane, where some government ministers remained to continue talks while he returned home.
During his Washington visit, Wale met Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, Admiral Thomas G Allan Jr, where discussions touched on the forthcoming signing of the Shiprider Agreement and wider maritime security cooperation in the Pacific.
On Monday this week Opposition leader Manasseh Sogavare called on prime minister Wale and the GREAT government, cautioning them to reconsider signing the shiprider agreement with the US.
Mr Sogavare argued that signing the agreement is akin to selling Solomon Islands’ sovereignty.
He adds that the agreement will be one in which only the US will have the capacity to utilise it to its interest while Solomon Islands will become a spectator.
The shiprider agreement is a security deal between the US and a partner country, which allows local law enforcement officers of the partner countries ride onboard US Coast Guard patrol ships. The local officers use the Coast Guard ships as base to check boats, stop illegal acts and protect their own ocean zones.
Photo credit: Island Sun
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A United States Coast Guard vessel has arrived in Honiara ahead of the historic signing of a maritime security agreement...
The post US Coast Guard Cutter Arrives Ahead of Historic SI-US Shiprider Deal appeared first on In-depth Solomons .
US Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane arrives in Honiara for maritime agreement signing and Operation Blue Pacific HONIARA, Solomon Islands & The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane& (WMEC 903) arrived in Honiara Monday as part of their ongoing Operation Blue& Pacific patrol – a multi-mission Coast Guard endeavor to promote regional security& [...]
The post U.S. COAST GUARD CUTTER ARRIVES IN SOLOMON ISLANDS appeared first on Tavuli News (Solomon Islands) .
Opposition Leader Manasseh Sogavare has launched a scathing attack on the Government’s planned maritime security agreement with the United States,...
The post Sogavare Slams US-SI Maritime Pact appeared first on In-depth Solomons .
Konofilia Secures Lawyer, Sentencing
Submissions - Aug 4
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
Solomon Star, Honiara
Moffat Konofilia has secured legal representation from the Public Solicitor's Office ahead of the next stage of his unlawful assembly case arising from the November 2021 Honiara riots.
When the case was called in the Honiara Magistrate's Court on Monday, Ruth Wairepo appeared for Public Solicitor lawyer Thompson Fiuga.
She told the court Fiuga was seeking an adjournment to Monday next week.
Fiuga could not appear because he is involved in another trial before the High Court.
The adjournment was sought to allow Fiuga, who has now taken over Konofilia's case, adequate time to prepare sentencing submissions and mitigation.
The court adjourned the matter to August 4 for sentencing submissions and mitigation.
Konofilia sought legal representation from the Public Solicitor's Office after his previous lawyer, Lily Ramo of JustLaw Attorneys, withdrew from acting for him.
At his previous court appearance, Konofilia told the court he had filed a notice of appeal against his unlawful assembly conviction. He said a lawyer from the Public Solicitor's Office had helped him file the appeal.
However, he had not yet been formally assigned legal representation.
He had asked the court for additional time to confirm that a lawyer would be appointed to his case.
The court granted the request and adjourned the matter to today to allow him to secure counsel.
Konofilia was convicted of one count of unlawful assembly, contrary to section 74(1) of the Penal Code, after the court found that he knowingly took part in an unlawful assembly during the civil unrest that erupted in Honiara on 24 November 2021.
The prosecution say Konofilia was among a group of people who assembled and engaged in conduct that disturbed the peace during the riots, which resulted in widespread destruction of properties, businesses and public infrastructure in Honiara.
While he was convicted of unlawful assembly, Konofilia was acquitted of a separate charge of sedition.
His sentencing was previously delayed after his former lawyer withdrew from the case, leaving him unrepresented while he considered appealing his conviction.
With legal representation now secured, the matter is expected to proceed to sentencing submissions and mitigation when it returns to the Honiara Magistrate's Court on August 4.
Special Prosecutor Mary Anne Zurenuoc from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is prosecuting.
///Ends///
by Georgina Maka’a Police are now at the Gold Ridge mine site as reports emerge that at least 10 bodies...
The post At Least 10 Feared Dead in Gold Ridge Pit Collapse appeared first on In-depth Solomons .
BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
POLICE officers and their families living at the Police married quarters next to the Police Club are voicing their concerns over the RSIPF leadership over an incident on Thursday last week which has left their families terrified.
Thursday last week residents were shocked when a group of expats in military fatigues came with excavators and started digging near their homes telling people that they were beginning demolition work.
Argument sparked between police officers and workers who came to dig, it was reported.
All the houses between the police club and the road going up to Ngossi are earmarked to be demolished to give way for the new police college complex funded by Australia, proposed to be completed by July 2028. The new police academy is part of the AUD $190 million Australian support over four years to grow and strengthen the local police force.
Around 30 families living in the earmarked area have been put on notice to move out, either relocate to another police accommodation or rent out, a senior official in the police executive office told Island Sun yesterday under condition of anonymity.
The residents were given notice in January this year to move out by the ending of May, 2026, so that work could begin on the new college project, the official said.
However, to date, residents which include actively serving officers and retired ones continue to remain, the official said.
So, early last week, a notice was given out informing residents that survey work will commence last week before the surveyors were deployed on Thursday last week, the official said.
Meanwhile, a resident speaking to Island Sun on condition of anonymity said they had not received any notice prior to the arrival and digging of the workers.
The police officer said their families were scared by the presence of expats in military fatigues who accompanied the workers who came and dug near their homes.
He described the situation as unacceptable and said it reflected a lack of concern for the welfare of officers and their families.
“Our wives and children were traumatised because no one told us this was going to happen. We were completely unprepared,” the officer said.
“The administration should have respected us enough to give us notice and make arrangements before sending in machinery.”
It is understood since the directive early this year for police officers and their families to move out, many have remained for a number of reasons.
One is retired officers who are still occupying houses, blocking accommodation for serving officers. RSIPF admin has been struggling to have them leave the houses.
The senior police official told Island Sun a lot of the officers cannot move out because they have been struggling to find available houses for rent nearby.
“These officers have their children attending nearby schools like St John, Bishop Epalle, Tamlan, but the only houses available for them to afford to rent are as faraway as Mt Austen, Henderson, and other places at the outskirts of Honiara, which will be huge inconvenience for them. The houses available nearby are beyond how much these officers can afford,” the official said.
The official said they are working to resolve it amicably with the affected officers and residents, but that work on the new college project must begin soon this year in order to meet the July 2028 deadline.
Photo: Supplied
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Opposition leader Sogavare warns Wale’s government to be careful with the planned shiprider agreement to be signed tomorrow – ‘surrendering Solomon Islands’ sovereign control over its own waters’
BY DOUGLAS VAHIA
Leader of Opposition Manasseh Sogavare warns that the Wale Government’s plan to sign a shiprider agreement with the United States amounts to surrendering Solomon Islands’ sovereign control over its own waters.
Mr Sogavare also questioned why PM Wale acted without cabinet approval on this risky deal, adding that Wale has been acting like a dictator since he came into power.
The deal ‘Agreement Concerning Counter Illicit Transnational Maritime Activity’ will be signed tomorrow at the US embassy.
Sogavare, who orchestrated the secretive security pact with China in 2022, also called on the Government to release the full text and table it in Parliament before taking any further step toward signature.
“This Government wants Solomon Islanders to believe this is simply a security partnership,” Sogavare said in a statement by the Opposition office yesterday.
“It is not. Read closely. Agreements of this kind hand a foreign navy standing legal authority to act in our waters in exchange for a theoretical right Solomon Islands could never realistically exercise. That is not partnership between equals. That is our sovereignty being sold, one clause at a time.”
Solomon Islands is the last of the region’s long-standing holdouts on this agreement, the Opposition statement said.
Twelve Pacific Island countries—Cook Islands, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu—have already signed a shiprider agreement with the United States. Of those twelve, three—the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and Samoa—have since been upgraded to an “enhanced” or “remote-authorisation” model, allowing US Coast Guard vessels to board and enforce on the host nation’s behalf even when no local officer is on board.
History across the Pacific shows these agreements rarely remain in their original, more limited form. That is why the terms Solomon Islands agrees to today will shape our sovereignty for years to come, the statement said.
Every version of this agreement signed elsewhere in the Pacific follows the same American template. In the near-identical text Vanuatu signed in 2016, United States vessels may act unilaterally, boarding, searching and pursuing suspect vessels in Vanuatu’s waters whenever a local shiprider is simply “not available”—a threshold the host country does not control.
In exchange, Vanuatu received only a mirror-image right to do the same in United States waters, a right no Pacific island maritime service the size of Solomon Islands could realistically exercise.
If Solomon Islands signs the same template, it should expect no different. Regional commentators have already identified this same imbalance in other Pacific agreements. That is not reciprocity. It is a one-way transfer of authority dressed up as an equal partnership.
The Wale Government will argue that the agreement is needed to combat drug traffickers, narco-submarines and illegal fishing. Those are genuine threats, and Solomon Islands has every right to seek assistance in addressing them, the Opposition statement said.
But genuine security concerns cannot justify granting standing enforcement powers in our territorial waters without full public scrutiny. The question is not whether we need help, but what legal authority we are being asked to surrender in return.
Other small states facing the same proposal negotiated stronger safeguards. Jamaica and Barbados both pushed back on the same American template and secured consent-based provisions requiring telephonic or written permission before any boarding operation rather than accepting automatic entry, the Opposition statement said.
Stephen Vasciannie, a Jamaican legal commentator, has publicly advanced the same sovereignty concerns. If Caribbean nations a fraction of our size could hold the line on their own waters, Solomon Islands can too. The Wale Government has not explained why it did not even try.
This is consistent with the position maintained by both the DCGA and GNUT Governments throughout their time in office: agreements affecting the sovereignty and security of our nation must be shaped on Solomon Islands’ terms, tested against regional frameworks and subjected to parliamentary scrutiny—not rushed through to satisfy a foreign timetable.
The Opposition has received information that, despite the Prime Minister’s announcement that the shiprider agreement will be signed in Honiara, no decision to enter into the agreement has in fact been made by Government Caucus or Cabinet.
If those reports are correct, the process raises equally serious questions about the Government’s own decision-making, the Opposition statement said.
Sogavare questioned why Prime Minister Matthew Wale would make such a significant commitment without first obtaining the endorsement of either Cabinet or Government Caucus.
“The Prime Minister has, since taking office, demonstrated a pattern of unilateral decision-making even though he knows he leads a coalition of six political parties. This is nothing short of dictatorial leadership,” Sogavare said.
“The Prime Minister must clarify to this nation why he bypassed Cabinet.”
Meanwhile, China has reacted by calling on all countries engaging with Pacific nations to respect their independence and ensure cooperation is not directed at any third party.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks after being asked about Solomon Islands’ decision to sign a ship rider agreement with the United States that will allow the US Coast Guard to patrol the country’s waters with Solomon Islands police officers on board.
“China and the Solomon Islands are comprehensive strategic partners featuring mutual respect and common development for a new era.
“We stand ready to work with the new government of the Solomon Islands to expand practical cooperation in various fields and better benefit the people of both countries,” Lin said.
“China supports efforts by the international community to help Pacific Island countries realise sustainable development.
“At the same time, in developing relations with Pacific Island countries, all parties should respect their independence, put development first, and uphold openness and inclusiveness. Relevant cooperation should not be targeted at any third party.”
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Judge says Manslaughter sentences have been too low, welcomes COA new direction
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN Solomon Star, Honiara
High Court Judge John Keniapisia says manslaughter sentences in Solomon Islands have been too low for many years.
He welcomed a recent Court of Appeal (COA) decision that paves the way for tougher penalties in serious cases.
Judge Keniapsia made the remarks while sentencing the defendant Alfred Linga Gaeta to 14 years' imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of John Kasita Rurufoliota.
The court heard that Gaeta, who was intoxicated and armed with an iron spade handle, went to neighbouring Diuku Village looking for a man named Simita over a land dispute.
When Simita was not home, his younger brother confronted Gaeta and was fatally assaulted during the altercation.
While delivering his sentence recently, Judge Keniapisia devoted part of his judgment to discussing what he described as a significant shift in the sentencing of manslaughter cases following the Court of Appeal's decision in the case of Basikekero.
"For the first time in many years the appellate court has finally recognised the seriousness of manslaughter by setting a higher starting point sentence of 8 years in the recent Court of Appeal case of Basikekero."
He noted that the Court of Appeal recognised "based on case law that manslaughter in this jurisdiction has had low starting points in the past."
According to the judge, the appellate court also recognised that "a higher starting point is needed, but do not want to make a 'quantum leap' to change the position of the law suddenly and significantly."
Reflecting on previous sentencing practices, Judge Keniapisia said, "Prior to Basikekero, as a Judge, I felt that my hands were tied."
He explained, “Starting points for manslaughter were very low. The final head sentence ranged from 4, 6, 7, 8 or 10 years, being the highest."
The judge said he often questioned why an offence carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment was attracting comparatively short prison terms.
"I used to wonder why a serious crime of 'death' with a maximum life time penalty was having low and very lenient sentence terms, even in the Court of Appeal cases..."
He referred to the Court of Appeal decisions in Tapa'amae and Poepoe, noting that the High Court had originally sentenced the offender in Poepoe to 10 years before the sentence was reduced on appeal to six years.
"How could a crime that takes away life with a maximum punishment of life imprisonment have a head sentence of 6 years only?"
He also disclosed that in another manslaughter case he had sentenced an offender to 13 years' imprisonment, only for the Court of Appeal to reduce the sentence to eight years.
"In one case I sentenced a manslaughter offender to 13 years and the Court of Appeal reduced it to 8 years."
The judge said the decision in Basikekero now signals that sentencing for manslaughter should move to a higher level.
"But now with a higher starting point of 8 years, the appellate Court in my respectful view is saying that, there ought to be an increase in the sentencing range for this type of crime, after all it is one of the most serious crimes under the Penal Code, which carries the maximum penalty of life-imprisonment."
"The sentence imposed by the Court must sufficiently reflect the seriousness of the crime or must have a strong element of deterrence,” he added.
Judge Keniapisia said the Court of Appeal's guidance had changed the position for sentencing judges.
"Now I feel that my hands are not tied, although the Court of Appeal said, they are mindful there should not be a 'quantum leap.'
The general trend now is to have a leap. One way to achieve this is for judges to take a considered approach with mitigation in their exercise of discretion."
"In my considered view, Basikekero has opened the way for a flexible approach to address the different levels of severity that are possible in manslaughter cases, to ensure a final head sentence must reflect the most serious crimes under the Penal Code."
In sentencing Gaeta, Judge Keniapisia adopted the eight-year starting point endorsed in Basikekero before considering the aggravating and mitigating factors in the case.
Gaeta was ultimately sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment, with the sentence backdated to 2 May 2025, the date he was first remanded in custody.
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Judge warns against Alcohol-fuelled Violence, Jails man for 14yrs
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN Solomon Star, Honiara
The High Court sitting at Auki, Malaita recently has sentenced a man to 14 years' imprisonment after he admitted to the manslaughter of a fellow villager during a drunken confrontation linked to a land dispute.
Alfred Linga Gaeta was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of Manslaughter.
He was originally charged with murder following the death of John Kasita Rurufoliota on 1 May 2025.
However, after negotiations between the prosecution and the defence, the Crown substituted the charge with one of manslaughter. Gaeta entered an early guilty plea.
According to the agreed facts presented to the court, Gaeta left his home at Ruakao Village while intoxicated and carrying an iron spade handle.
He travelled to nearby Diuku Village shouting threats that he intended to kill a man identified as Simita over an unresolved land dispute.
When Gaeta reached Simita's home, Simita was absent.
Instead, Simita's younger brother, John Kasita Rurufoliota, confronted Gaeta after hearing the threats and the two became involved in a fight.
During the altercation, Gaeta struck the deceased with the iron spade handle, causing fatal injuries.
A post-mortem examination found that the deceased sustained multiple injuries, including wounds to the head, shoulder and abdomen.
The medical report concluded that he probably died from complications of coronary heart disease triggered by the acute stress of the assault.
In sentencing, Judge Keniapisia described manslaughter as one of the most serious offences under the Penal Code, noting that it carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
“The seriousness of this crime is the taking away of a human life. “Every individual person is endowed with a fundamental right to life in the constitution (Section 3 (a) of the Constitution).
“No one should take away the life of another person because he or she has land disputes issues with the person or tribe.”
Judge Keniapisia said dispute have lawful ways to be resolved.
He further added that the court must impose sentences that properly reflect the loss of human life and provide a strong deterrent against violent offending.
The judge also referred to the Court of Appeal's recent decision in Basikekero, which established an eight-year starting point for sentencing in manslaughter cases.
He said the decision marked an important development in sentencing practice, recognising that previous sentences for manslaughter had often been too low.
Judge Keniapisia identified several aggravating factors, including Gaeta's decision to arm himself before the confrontation, the premeditated nature of his actions, the repeated assault on the victim, the vulnerability of the deceased, the offender's voluntary intoxication, and his role as the aggressor.
These factors increased the starting point before the court considered mitigating circumstances.
The court then reduced the sentence to reflect Gaeta's status as a first-time offender, his cooperation with police, his personal circumstances and prospects of rehabilitation.
While acknowledging the guilty plea, the judge observed that the prosecution's case was supported by strong eyewitness evidence.
Judge Keniapisia also express concern about increasing alcohol-related violence in villages throughout Solomon Islands.
“Young people should not consume alcohol and cause nuisance in our villages.”
He said drunken disorder and violent behaviour among young people had become increasingly common and warned that courts would continue to impose severe penalties on offenders whose actions threaten the peace and safety of rural communities.
"The main purpose of the punishment I give here is to condemn your action and to protect the public from the commission of such crimes," the judge said during sentencing.
Gaeta was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment, with the sentence backdated to 2 May 2025, the date he was first remanded in custody.
He was informed of his right to appeal the sentence.
Bobby Harunari of Public Solicitor’s Office (PSO) represented Gaeta while Public Prosecutors Jonathan Auga and Collin Rohoana appeared for the Crown.
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Magistrate: Attack on Police was 'Cowardice’
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN Solomon Star, Honiara
A 14-year-old juvenile has been sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for damaging a police vehicle conducting patrol duties on New Year’s Day in West Honiara.
However, the defendant identified as ‘MP’ was released at the rising of the court because he had already spent around four months in custody whilst on remand.
He was convicted for one count of Malicious Damage following the incident on 1 January 2026.
In delivering the sentence, Principal Magistrate Felix Hollison strongly condemned the defendant’s actions.
“The police needs immense support from the community and all stakeholders in order to execute their statutory and constitutional duties of protecting all of us,” Magistrate Hollison said.
He added that the action of the defendant’s is cowardice and must be condemned with a custodial sentence irrespective of the fact that he is a juvenile pursuant to section 16(j) of the Juvenile Offenders Act [Cap 14].
He said the safety and lives of police officers were placed at risk during the incident and such conduct must be condemned.
The defendant had pleaded guilty early last week.
His co-defendant, another juvenile identified as HG, remains at large and is subject to a warrant of arrest.
The court heard that MP was 14 years old at the time of the offending.
The complainants were four officers of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF)
The incident occurred at about 1am on 1 January 2026, when police officers were conducting normal patrol operations in west Honiara using three police vehicles.
The patrol was planned to travel from Tasahe A through Tasahe B and towards White River.
Upon reaching the junction of Tasahe A and Kongulai Road, the police convoy was forced to stop by a roadblock, and stones were thrown at the vehicles from a dark area beside the road. Police called for reinforcements before continuing.
However, while travelling along Kongulai Road, a stone struck the rear glass of police vehicle G-4954.
As officers attempted to retreat towards the Tasahe Green Tank area, more stones were thrown at the vehicle.
The court heard that MP and his co-defendant were identified as the perpetrators.
MP instructed the other juvenile to shoot the police vehicle, resulting in the rear glass being smashed and disrupting police operations in west Honiara.
In considering sentence, Magistrate Hollison said imprisonment should normally be the last resort when dealing with juvenile offenders under the Juvenile Offenders Act [Cap 14].
However, he found that the seriousness of the offence, the danger faced by police officers, and the disruption of police operations justified an immediate custodial sentence.
The court adopted a starting point of 12 months’ imprisonment and then added two months after considering aggravating features of the offence, bringing the sentence to 14 months.
The sentence was then reduced by eight months after the court considered mitigating factors, including the defendant’s early guilty plea, remorse, first-time offender status, personal circumstances, and the circumstances surrounding the offending.
The final sentence imposed was six months’ imprisonment. The court was informed that MP was first remanded on 10 January 2026 and released on bail on 24 February 2026.
He was later remanded again on 27 April 2026 after intentionally breaching his bail conditions and remained in custody until sentencing.
Taking into account the approximately four months already spent in custody and remission under the Correctional Services Act 2007, Magistrate Hollison found that MP had effectively served his sentence.
The court ordered that he be released at the rising of the court. The Magistrate also directed police to execute the outstanding warrant of arrest for MP’s co-defendant, whose matter remains pending before the court.
James Tetea of Public Solicitor’s Office represented MP while Public Prosecutor Gabriel Maefiri appeared for the Crown.
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File photo of police vehicle being stoned.
Search Ends in Tragedy as Diver Found Dead
By GEHAZI SEKO Solomon Star, Choiseul
A search and rescue operation near Supizae Island, Choiseul province, ended in tragedy Saturday afternoon after a man who went diving on a nearby reef was found dead.
The deceased, who was believed to be from Western province, was out diving with his wife when the incident occurred at around 2:00pm.
Reports indicate that the man submerged beneath the water while diving on the reef but failed to return to the surface, prompting an immediate search and rescue operation involving nearby individuals and Taro police.
The search operation concluded at around 5pm after his body was located by a passing boat in waters near Butubuturu Island.
The occupants of the boat immediately alerted Taro police officers, who responded to the report and attended the scene.
A medical doctor who examined the deceased said preliminary findings indicated that the man had drowned.
The tragic incident has left the Supizae community shocked and saddened, with residents extending their condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased during this difficult time.
//Ends//
Photo caption: Police officers who attended the scene where the body of the deceased was found
BY JOSES SAREN
Under the shade of a large rain tree, in the strip of land between Kon Street and the National Archives compound where a stream flows through, a man sits with a hand-rolled cigarette between his fingers. Silver rings crowd his knuckles, dark bangles stack up his wrist, and grey dreadlocks fall past a beard streaked white with age.
His name is Jack. He says he is from East Guadalcanal. What he keeps returning to, unprompted, is a number: 27 years living on the street.
Island Sun cannot verify that figure, or much of Jack’s account of how he came to be here. His answers shift, and at times his train of thought is difficult to follow. But the number has come up more than once, in the same words — a fixed point in an otherwise uncertain story.
A life on the compound wall
Jack’s shelter is built from tarpaulin, cardboard and salvaged wire mesh, set in the narrow strip of land between Kon Street and the brick perimeter wall of the National Archives, where a stream runs through. It is in that stream that Jack washes. For drinking water, he relies on the Archives compound itself: he passes his bottles through to the security guards on duty, who fill them from a tap inside and hand them back.
It is survival built into the seams of the city — a stream for bathing, a government wall at his back, and the goodwill of the guards next door for something as basic as clean water.
For food, Jack says he relies on what he can find in the rubbish bins at the Central Market.
Small kindnesses, unpredictable income
Jack has no fixed income. He says people passing by sometimes stop and give him money — on the day Island Sun visited, one passer-by left him SBD $5. He also says he sometimes goes to stand outside a bank in town, where people have given him $10, $20, even $50 at a time. There is no pattern to it, no regular support — just whatever a stranger decides to hand over on a given day.
A question no one has answered
Spending time with him, it becomes clear Jack’s thinking does not always hold together. He repeats himself. He loses the thread of what he is saying. Whether that is the toll of decades on the street, an underlying condition, or something else entirely is not for this reporter — or anyone without the relevant training — to say. But it raises a question bigger than Jack alone: what happens to people living rough in Honiara whose grip on their own story is no longer steady, and who has any responsibility to check on them?
A city growing around him
Jack’s situation sits uneasily next to the government’s own language about urban growth. Solomon Islands’ Minister of Lands and Housing told the United Nations in July that rapid urban growth is putting pressure on housing, roads and water supplies in Honiara and the provincial centres. Jack is what that pressure looks like at street level — not a line in a ministerial address, but a man living against a government wall, washing in the stream below it, and passing his water bottles through to whoever is on duty that day.
Whether Honiara owes him anything more than the coins passers-by leave behind is a question the city has not yet answered.
Photo credit: Joses Saren
For feedback, contact: josessaren@gmail.com
Editor: irwin3angiki@gmail.com
The Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA Core) has officially launched its first-ever national data system, marking a significant milestone in strengthening mine action efforts in Solomon Islands.
The new system is expected to enhance the Ministry of Police, National Security and Correctional Services' ability—particularly through the Explosive Ordnance Department—to collect, manage and analyse information relating to unexploded ordnance.
The initiative is aimed at improving data management, supporting informed decision-making, and strengthening public safety through more effective mine action operations.
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