RACHEL Subusola Olutimayin is the country’s new Director Public Prosecution (DPP).
She replaces former DPP Ronald Bei Talasasa Jnr who has retired as of mid this year.
Mrs Subusola before signing her contract yesterday before the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs Ethel Sigimanu and representatives of the Solomon Islands Legal Services Commission, she was sworn-in before the Governor General His Excellency Reverend David Vunagi.
Mrs Sigimanu during a small contract signing ceremony yesterday thanked the new DPP for accepting the duty as the new DPP for Solomon Islands.
“I would like to express of behalf of the Ministry, our sincere gratitude to you for accepting to take up the very important responsibility as the Director of Public Prosecution.
“It is our pleasure on behalf of the Ministry to take up the new responsibility,” she said.
She said the appointment of Mrs Subusola sets history as the first lady to take up such position and it’s an encouragement to the women of this country.
“It’s a milestone of its own and that goes with a message that that is not impossible for women out there. They can be Rachel or Ronald Talasasa or next person to take up high ranking positions,” she said.
Mrs Subusola after the signing said she sees it as a call to duty for the country and therefore willingly accepts to take up the responsibility.
“I have served in Solomon Islands for 13 years now and I feel like l am part and parcel of this country.
“There is a need for someone to fill the position and I am very happy to take up the position,” she added.
Mrs Subusola is a Nigerian original and leaves in Fiji for the past 13 years as a Fijian national. She is also a permanent resident of Canada, where her family lives.
She came to the Solomons when RAMSI came in as a senior prosecution advisor in the office of the Director of Prosecution.
Mrs Subusola after leaving RAMSI transited into a bilateral agreement between Solomon Islands and Australia where she then joined the Solomon Islands Justice Program.
“Part of that time, I also served in the office of the public solicitors office as an advisor and then went back to the DPP office as an advisor,” she said.
Mrs Subusola said she is looking forward with hope to deliver the best she could to the country especially with the wealth of experience she had.
By IAN M.KAUKUI
