The management of Rock Haven Inn has hit back expressing disappointment at a report which criticised Solomon Islands Red Cross officials for being accommodated at the Inn.
The report appeared last Tuesday in the Solomon Star.
In a statement last week the management said it was disappointed with the report and the paper which had to use gross inaccurate information attributed to one of its guests to tarnish the Red Cross and casting negative implications on the Rock Haven Inn without giving any of the parties the opportunity to put the record straight.
A statement from Rock Haven said that getting the other side of the story was crucial when the Solomon Star writer attempted to use the story to justify the looting and burning of a shop along King George Sixth road last Friday night.
In describing the paper as totally irresponsible and unethical in terms of internationally accepted journalism standards, the statement said; Red Cross officials in Rock Haven Inn are being accommodated there either because they lost their home; during the floods and are actively looking for alternative accommodation or because they have been brought into Honiara to help man the Red Cross centres following the floods.
“There are also officers from other ministries currently residing at Rock Haven while looking for alternative accommodation and many have moved out and those remaining are also moving out soon including those of the Red Cross.”
The statement added that on the rates and duration of stay quoted by the Solomon Star, it was also irresponsible of the paper to use the same guest as its main source of information when he had no part or knowledge about a properly negotiated arrangement with Red Cross.
As to the duration, the statement said that four months duration of stay quoted by the paper was its own creation which is totally untrue as well.
