North Malaita MP's secret letter to North Malaita former MEF militants presented publicly in parliament
The letter distributed to Parliament yesterday was written by MP for North Malaita Daniel Enele Kwanairara and addressed to inmates only known as Patty (Patterson Saeni) and Jim (Jimmy Rasta Lusibaea), both former commanders of the Malaita Eagle Force militant group and are currently serving their terms at the Rove Prison.
Mr Kwanairara said in the letter that he wanted the two men to help him with some information about the raid of the armoury in 2000.
Though the letter did not mention Mr Sogavare’s name the part in To'abaita vernacular makes particular reference to the Prime Minister. In that vernacular part, Mr Kwanairara urged the two to provide information they saw and heard about the PM’s involvement in the raid of the armoury.
Besides the PM, the letter also made reference to a person who once stayed in prison (Charles Dausabea).
The letter was produced in parliament following an order from Speaker Sir Peter Kenilorea on Monday. Sir Peter made the ruling following statements made in Parliament by the MP for East Honiara, Charles Dausabea who claimed that the Opposition was teaming with ex-militants to open cases against him and the PM.
He showed the letter in parliament. The letter was dated January 19, 2007.
In another letter produced to Members of Parliament, believed to be written to Mr. Dausabea by the inmate named Jim (Jimmy Rasta Lusibaea), Jim had requested Mr. Dausabea to find a To'obaita man to interpret the earlier letter. Jim had alleged that Mr. Kwanairara made three visits to him in prison this year. He said he told the North Malaita MP that both Mr. Dausabea and the Prime Minister were innocent.
The letter alleged that in his last visit, Mr. Kwanairara had asked Honiara lawyer Lesly Kwaiga help him convince Jim into making fabricated stories about Mr. Dausabea and the Prime Minister. Jim in the letter warned the East Honiara MP not to listen to Mr. Kwaiga, saying he is a threat to the government.
Mr Dausabea said he was unable to produce the letter on the same day in parliament because he needed to seek the legal opinion of the Attorney General.
Meanwhile, another opposition member and West New Georgia Vona Vona MP Peter Boyers has come out to defend his colleague by saying that there is nothing wrong with the letter distributed by East Honiara M-P in Parliament.
MP Boyers was speaking in response to accusations that the Opposition is using ex-militants as attempts to topple the Sogavare-Government.
According to SIBC News, Mr Boyers told Parliament that the letter only shows that an MP was seeking knowledge on events surrounding the 2000 coup from ex-militants.
He said he doesn't find anything wrong with the letter's intent as this is the question of all Solomon Islanders.
Mr Boyers said it is common knowledge that former militants talk to both the government and the opposition because of discontentment and feelings that they had been used. The West New Georgia Vona Vona MP also said that the Opposition had advised former militants not to use the Opposition and vice versa.
He said while former militants are guilty of rough crimes committed during the ethnic unrest, they have a right to voice their concerns.
Sources: Solomon Star, SIBC & Solomon Times
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