Dear Editor – I refer to Solomon Power’s response to my earlier article which Solomon Star carried on page 4 of the paper on Wednesday 17th November 2021.
Solomon Power’s article was set out to kill the messenger, the usual type of attack on journalists.
In response, I wish to say this. I stand by my two articles on the issue of land sale at Tanagai involving Solomon Power and businessman Bernard Garo.
I was accused for instance for not presenting Solomon Power’s side of the story. This is a false claim.
The truth of the matter is that Solomon Power officers have not read Solomon Star newspaper issue of Tuesday 16th November 2021.
If they had, they would have discovered that the written statement prepared by Solomon Power and given to me on Thursday last week was published in full on Tuesday 16th November 2021. It appeared on Page 3, half a page long, free and published almost word for word.
There are three reasons for publishing George Keni’s story first. (1)
READERS would not have the slightest idea of what the entire story is all about. (2) Solomon Power (SP) would have nothing, absolutely nothing to respond to without Mr. Keni’s story appearing in the first place and (3), the newspaper would not have the space to include everything in one issue.
Being in the business for the past 46 years I have come to learn that when someone is bashing the messenger, it means there is something to hide.
I have also learned that messenger-bashing does not remove issues. It does the opposite, raising more and more questions about integrity, image and the like.
I am not saying there are questionable things happening at SOLOMON POWER. I am simply saying in the two articles we have published, COULD IT BE HAPPENING AT SOLOMON POWER?
- As a matter of fact when I met Solomon Power CEO, George Kiriau in his office that Thursday morning for the interview, I had told him that I read exchanges in emails, letters and so on and formed the conclusion that:
- It would appear the due diligence undertaken prior to the sale and purchase of the land at Tanagai was not thoroughly done;
- Management was ill-advised which in turn passed on the information to the Board which approved the purchase. In other words, the Management and Board were misled by the officers on the project;
- Engaging the seller (vendor) to remove a partially completed structure from the land after he has already surrendered the title seems a little hazy – a position the Commissioner of Lands has confirmed. The seller is under no obligation to do so. It is the responsibility of the new owner
In terms of due diligence, my conclusion is strengthened by the fact that Keni’s issue is not the first for Solomon Power. There are reports of a similar case involving Solomon Power at Papaho in West Honiara.
Solomon Power is said to have bought a large tract of land from an alleged registered landowner only to find afterwards that was not the case. The matter is now before the High Court
So is it possible businessman Bernard Garo was not a registered landowner, based on the testimony by born Chief Roko?
Chief Roko who has vesting orders over the land at Tanagai and elsewhere in Honiara has already threatened to slap a caveat over the land where Solomon Power is building its solar farm unless it fully paid the cost of the destruction of Mr. Keni’s house.
Alfred Sasako
Honiara
