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SICTU Urgently Calls for Investigation into Politicians and Public Officers Implicated in ESP Audit Report

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The Solomon Islands Council of Trade Unions has called for a thorough investigation into the findings of the Auditor General which has implicated politicians, officials of alleged abuse of public funds under the Economic Stimulus Package.

In a statement today, SICTU says in a recent development, the office of the Auditor General has uncovered alarming findings of corruption and mismanagement within the government’s Economic Stimulus Package (ESP) program. The audit report has implicated several high-ranking politicians and public officers in the misuse of funds allocated for the ESP, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the program and the accountability of those responsible.

SICTU says the Office of the Auditor General completed its mandated tasked resulted in the audit report presented to government and public last week.

“As such, Solomon Islands council of trade union is now calling on the Chairman of the Leadership Code Commission (LCC), the Chairman of Solomon Islands Independence Commission Against Corruption (SIICAC), and the Commissioner of Police to launch a thorough investigation into the actions of these implicated individuals. It is imperative that those responsible for the mismanagement of public funds are held accountable for their actions and face the full force of the law,” the statement, said today.

“SICTU also reminds the Commissioner of Police of the terms of the memorandum of understanding he signed on behalf of RSIP with the Auditor General committing the two institutions to high level of cooperation,” SICTU says in its latest media statement.

They said the ESP program was designed to provide much-needed economic relief to the citizens in the community, especially during the height of corvid pandemic period. However, the findings of the audit report paint a troubling picture of misuse, embezzlement, and fraud within the program.

“Such actions not only betray the trust of the public but also undermine the government’s efforts to support those in need. Therefore, we urge the relevant authorities to take swift and decisive action to ensure that justice is served and that those responsible are brought to book.

“The Chairman of LCC, SIICAC, and the Commissioner of Police must work together to conduct a transparent and impartial investigation into the allegations raised in the ESP audit report. No one should be above the law, especially those entrusted with the responsibility of serving the public,” the statement says.

“It is crucial that the integrity of our governance institutions is upheld and that public can have faith in the accountability mechanisms in place. We call on the authorities to demonstrate their commitment to fighting corruption and malfeasance by investigating these serious allegations thoroughly and ensuring that those found guilty are held accountable,” SICTU says.

The organisation says SICTU affiliate trade unions stand united in their demand for justice and accountability.

“The people now witness what they deserve to know when audit report of the ESP fund of more than SBD$300 million released with culprit identified and the truth about the misuse of public funds and is demanding to see those responsible face the consequences of their actions. We trust that the Chairman of LCC, SIICAC, and the Commissioner of Police will take swift action to investigate the implicated politicians and public officers for prosecutions. Such action will restore faith in the integrity of our government institutions,” the statement concluded.

– press release

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