Dear Editor – I refer to the Solomon Star article by Alfred Sasako printed on Wednesday 25th September 2024 which has the subtitle “COL lets the cat out of the bag on the secrecy surrounding the $140 million land buy-back deal”.
Sasako’s choice of words suggest as though I am the one who “exposed” details of the deal and “let the cat out of the bag” including to the media. This is untrue. By providing advice to the Honourable Deputy Prime Minister, this is not “letting the cat out of the bag”.
My advice was not intended to be shared beyond government circles and certainly not to be exposed to the media.
Someone else in those circles decided to “let the cat out of the bag” by sharing it with the Solomon Star, but of course we will never know who.
In light of my successful defamation case against the Solomon Star and Alfred Sasako last year, I suggest Mr Sasako chooses his words more carefully to avoid further litigation and costs being awarded against him and your newspaper.
Regards,
Alan McNeil
Commissioner of Lands
