Court orders controversial CEO out of SIPA premises
THE game may be over for Colin Yow.
This came after the High Court ordered the former controversial Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from entering the premises of Solomon Islands Ports Authority (SIPA).
Chief Justice Sir Albert Palmer issued the orders after the SIPA board, represented by the Attorney General’s Office took the matter to court.
“Mr Yow, his servants, agents, invitees, licensees or others under his authority or purported authority are restrained from entering all premises owned and/ or controlled by SIPA,” Sir Albert said.
“Yow is restrained from issuing any directives or instructions to the management of the Claimant/Applicant (SIPA board) in relation to the operations of SIPA,” the court order reads.
Mr Yow is also restrained from holding meeting or forum in relation to the operation of the SIPA or in the name of the authority.
Sir Albert also ordered Mr Yow to return to the Director of Corporate Services of SIPA all properties belonging to the organisation.
He further ordered that the Sheriff of the High Court will implement these orders with the assistance of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) where needed.
The chief justice gave Mr Yow, a Singaporean-born Australian citizen, 14 days to challenge the orders.
Mr Yow could not be reached yesterday for comments as to whether he’ll be challenging the orders.
Almost an hour after the court ruling yesterday afternoon, the Solomon Star saw Mr Yow leaving the SIPA headquarters at Point Cruz in the company of his personal security guards.
He emerged from a back-door and walked from the administration block to the main port entrance where he gots into his vehicle.
The court ruling brought to an end a week of drama that saw Mr Yow refusing to vacate the office despite being sacked last Sunday by SIPA board chairman Billy Titiulu.
Mr Yow insisted Mr Titiulu was no longer the chairman when he sacked him.
Mr Titiulu and SIPA board member Johnny Sy were earlier terminated by the Minister for Infrastructure Development Jimmy Lusibaea.
But the sacking was deemed invalid because the termination letters were not co-signed by the Minister for Finance Snyder Rini.
The SIPA board decided to seek the court orders following Mr Yow’s defiance of its instructions to vacate the SIPA CEO job.
Sources said Yow continued to attend office duties since he was served with his termination letter by the board.
It was alleged whilst police patrol was patrolling the ports vicinity on Thursday, Yow was taken out secretly not in his official vehicle.
Mr Titiulu said Mr Yow was served with almost 30 resolutions and none of them was complied with, until his termination on April 22
“Since then he continued to defy his termination and continued to exercise powers as CEO,” Mr Titiulu said.
“He blatantly refused to follow the board’s instructions.”
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
and BRADFORD THEONOMI
