THE Parliamentary Opposition Group has described a statement from the Special Secretary to Prime Minister Rence Sore regarding the $3.7 million payout as ‘misleading’ and ‘contradictory’.
This was after a statement carried in the Solomon Star last week quoted Mr Sore stating that the $3.7 million to Aggressor Solomons Limited (ASL) was for financial support to hire the boat and to support the tourism operator.
However, the Parliamentary Opposition said, Mr Sore’s statement is just as plain as a white lie.
“Stop deceiving the people with false statements because sighted Cabinet documents clearly indicates that the payment was to reimburse the operator for damages to the boat incurred during the MPs trip to Mbike Island on the eve of the Prime Minister’s election last year,” the statement said.
“So why mislead the people when documents are available for proof that the Government payout was for compensation in disguise to supporting a tourism operator.”
The Opposition Group said, the SSPMs statement contradicts to official Cabinet documents regarding the payment.
The Opposition statement also slammed SSPMs statement in which Mr Sore said, that the payment was also to hire the boat.
“The SSPMs comment is a laughing stock as hiring a one day boat trip for MPs leisure could not even have cost up to a million dollars. This is a ridiculous joke,” the statement said.
The statement said why should taxpayers even be forced to foot the hiring of the boat when it is not a sanctioned Government trip.
Meanwhile, the Opposition has advised the Prime Minister to caution his officials and advisors not to make public false statements as it does not speak well of the quality of advisors within the OPMC.
The Opposition then reiterated its call that the Prime Minister and his Cabinet still owes answers to the people of this nation on the series of controversial issues that are still left unanswered.
