BREAKING…Two new MPs’ face petitions

With just a week to go, petitions are starting to be filed at the High Court of Solomon Islands.

The high court this afternoon confirmed that it has received several petitions as losing candidates have started filing complaints against the winners in last month’s joint elections.

Just before 3pm today when the Court closed its doors for business this week, lawyers and their clients were busy filing petitions.

 “Yes, we are starting to receive petitions but we can’t tell you how many until we finalize what we received today,” said one official of the Court.

However, outside the court, two groups had confirmed to SBMOnline that they had with their lawyers filed their petitions and also paid the required fees.

Though unconfirmed reports say there were four petitions being filed to the high court this afternoon, we can confirm that two after speaking to the petitioners.

The two other petitions, which SBMOnline, could not confirm, were said to be against two Guadalcanal MPs.

However, the two SBMOnline can confirm are petitions against the new MP for Savo/Russells Oliver Salopuka and the new MP for Gao Bugotu Trevor Headly Mahaga.

One of the petitioners Peter Osike confirmed that he just filed a joint petition on his behalf and the former MP for Savo Russells, Dickson Mua.

“Yes, I have just filed and pay the required fees,” Osike told SBMOnline outside the high court.

He said the details of the petition will be elaborated on once the hearing begins.

Equally, a team representing the former MP of Gao Bugotu was also today at the high court with their lawyers to file a petition on behalf of Manetoali against Mahaga.

“We can confirm that we are here to file our petition on behalf on Manetoali against Mahaga,” one of their leaders told SBMOnline.

The bond fee for petition is $40,000 which was also paid today and court fee of $2,500.

Petitioners have until the end of next week to file petitions as the 30 day period ends at the end of the week.

Mahaga was sworn in as the new minister of Minister for of Environment, Climate Change and Disaster Management and Meteorology, is a new comer so as Salopuka who replaced a former government minister in the Savo Russell Constituency in the Central Islands Province.

News@SBMOnline2024