Rebel MP accuses of corruption

Duran Angiki - Private View.
(1 August, 2012) Los Angeles, California, USA.

This article was written in response to the Member of Parliament for Rennell and Bellona Constituent, Seth Gukuna, letter to the Renbel Creative Network (formerly known as Avaiki Forum). This is an expansion version of the original article. The Renbel Creative Network is a “Facebook” network of Rennell and Bellona Islanders, who are living in the country and some of them are residing abroad. This forum is by members only and the aim is to give contributors ownership of their views.

Recently, the Solomon Islands-based English newspaper, The Islands Sun, reported about MP Gukuna advancement of $100,000.00 from the national government “Millennium Fund”, a fund established by the government to small scale development projects of all the provinces, including Rennell and Bellona Constituent.

Our members become aware of Hon. Gukuna’s advancement of the money following an article by former Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, who accused the Prime Minister, Gordon Darcy Lilo, and his cabinet, which Gukuna is a Minister, of misappropriating public funds. The issue simply created a public outcry about the level of secrecy and corruption in the government. It also led to a number of commentaries in the Avaiki Forum.

In Gukuna’s reply, he accused the forum of hatred and dismissing their concerns of being irrelevant and not warranted of any serious consideration because many of the forum members and their family members were not amongst the list of people, who were voted for him in the 2010 national general elections. Despite the MP’s rant, he failed to provide any answer to some of our questions, particularly when and how the money was spent.

On this basis, I took the liberty to reply as a member of the forum and also as a strong advocator of anti-corruption, good governance and a strong defender of democracy, in a country where corrupt politicians are often immune to the legal system, and also for consistently using the local media to bully, intimidate and threaten critics and journalists of carrying out their role and responsibility as watch-dog in society.

This letter is my reply.

I wish to thank Honourable Seth Gukuna for his reply to some of our concerns. Despite our differences, it is a healthy practice (in democracy) that MP Seth has replied to this forum. Seth has made a number of interesting points.

Firstly, he reckoned that we hate him. Secondly, he doesn’t care about our wish because we (and our families) did not vote for him during the 2010 national election. Thirdly, the S100, 000.00 was not meant for the cultural group, rather it was funds, endorsed by cabinet, for the personal use of Members of Parliament. And fourthly, but not the least, the only people that he cares about their desire and views is his voters (people who had voted for him in the 2010 election).

Before I could go on, I wish to say this to MP Gukuna – it is a public knowledge in our community of Rennell and Bellona Islands that following the 2010 national elections, a number of winning candidates (Tongahiti - mainstream Solomon Islands), including himself, secretly obtained the list of names of people who were voted for them during the elections from the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission. The obtaining of the list is an illegal practice, which could only be possible if under table dealing of money was involved in the transaction. Again, it was through that list that MP Gukuna allegedly told his closest supporters that he would only assist people in the list in the next four years term (2010 –2014). What a pity. Now let’s look at other issues.

First of all, Gukuna is wrong to claim that we hate him or have hatred against him. It is a lame excuse to discredit critics and concerned voters, who are seeking answers, over allegations of misappropriation of public funds. Advancing funds without any explanation of how he had used it – is worse than not helping our contingent (Rennell and Bellona Cultural group to the Festival Of Pacific Arts (FOPA) , which has recently successfully completed in Honiara, the national capital of the Solomon Islands.

Secondly, the idea that if you didn’t vote for an MP, he or she has no responsibility to be accountable and communicate with anyone or voters is the silliest thing I’ve ever heard from an MP. Democracy entails that a winning candidate has to govern for the good of all, regardless of whether or how voters expressed their democratic rights at the ballot boxes.

Thirdly, our MP has once again failed to provide even just a basic answer as to how he had used the advanced $100,000.00. If his answer or claim is correct that the money wasn’t meant to assist the contingent – then who has/have benefited from it? This is the problem with our MPs one man management team and usual attitude of thumping down his nose on our people. A classic example of this is – no one from his supporters is privy to his financial dealings and management team that resulted in the MV Renbel now eating-sand (ran aground) at Randi beach, (East Honiara Industrial area).

MV Renbel is a boat that MP Gukuna had bought from a $2m transport grant from the national government to the Rennell and Bellona Province. As a former policy advisor (Gukuna) to the Rennell and Bellona former Premier, Matthew Taupongi Giusanga, they made a secret deal, where the money was transferred to a private bank account, owned by Gukuna. The boat was initially purchased under a different company name, but later transferred to another privately owned company, Renbel Shipping Limited, which Gukuna was the sole owner, trader, CEO, manager, accountant, and auditor. He made a mockery of the Chiefs of the two islands by giving them shares, which he had never ever paid a single cent of devident to them during the entire operation of the company. In 2009, I wrote to the media in Solomon Islands about the case and hoping that the national government and police will investigate the former Premier Giusanga, Deputy Premier Solly Tengemoana, the Provincial Secretary, Richard Maui, Deputy Provincial Secretary, Ruben Ngiumoana and Policy Advisor, Gukuna, over allegations of fraud and corruption, but it fell on deaf ears.

The interesting connection between former Premier Giusanga and former Deputy Provincial Secretary, Ruben Ngiumoana, is they both married two sisters, who are first cousins of Gukuna. In Maui’s case, he was handpicked to the post (Provincial Secretary) by the then Premier and his executive, on the basis that he (Maui) was the younger brother of the minister of education at that time. It was alleged then that the decision to give Gukuna the $2m grant was a secret deal that agreed by the premier, his deputy with the full knowledge of the provincial secretary and his deputy. One common denominator about these five individuals, two from Rennell Islands; Giusanga (Premier) and Gukuna (Policy Advisor) and three from Bellona Island; Tengemoana (Deputy Premier), Maui (Provincial Secretary) and Ngiumoana (Deputy Provincial Secretary), they are active members of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church (SDA).

Fourthly, our MP Gukuna’s normal way of counter attacking people, who are concerned about his unusual way of dealing and secretive handling of public funds is - if you don’t like or agree with it, contest the next election. The truth is this –Gukuna is a big time crook and his last job in the public sector as Manager of the Solomon Islands South Pacific Shell Company, ended following his sacking of fraud. So his usual tactic of telling people to either put up or shut up is a well calculated way of diverting people’s attention from the real issues and avoiding taking full responsibility or ownership of his wrong. Luckily for him, the police force in Solomon Islands is highly compromised and the case against the former provincial executives and administrators was stalled following the refusal by former Premier Giusanga to take legal action against his brother in-law, now Member of Parliament, Gukuna.

Additionally, the national government has played a huge role in preventing investigation into this corrupt practice by appointing MP Gukuna as a government minister in two successive executive governments. This situation has almost put MP Gukuna out of reach of the legal system in the country, which often accused of succumbed in the past to political threats and pressures. In all, the fraudulent of the Rennell and Bellona Provincial government of $2m has left to the current government of Premier George Tuhaika, to take action. This is a “lose-lose” situation for our province because the boat is now ran aground at Ranandi beach and it is now becoming a convenient bloc for the illegal settlers of the area since 2010. The premier of our province has no choice because his provincial executive has no money to launch any legal challenge against Gukuna. On the other hand, it has no money to repair the boat, which Gukuna, as the sole owner of the boat, has deliberately left to rundown and going to cost thousands of dollars in repair bills.

It is on this basis that many Rennell and Bellona people are left silently fuming about the arrogant and very corrupt practices and attitude of our MP Gukuna. No wonder, people are disappointed, sad, suspicious, angry, and even calling him names in the mainstream media in the Solomon Islands. If the former Prime Minister, Danny Philip, could not tolerate him (Gukuna) in parliament (the highest office of the land), after Gukuna made sarcastic remarks and constantly interjected him while he was making a speech, which prompted Philip to described Gukuna as“face blo iu luk olsem Renbel’(You face looks like MV Renbel), then who else would? In the past and even now, Gukuna’s usual answers to our many queries are berated with contempt, arrogance and obnoxious half-truth.

I’m blunt with my assessment because “Democracy” is a two-way traffic. And if Gukuna wishes to get any respect from people like myself, he has to earn it. The rule is very simple, use the road with care and respect to the rules of engagement and others will respect you in return. The way our MP has been dealing with public funds and our people since returning from Taiwan (as Head of Solomon Islands Trade Mission) and worked as former Policy Advisor to the Rennell and Bellona Province, where he stole $2m grant, before contested and won the lone parliamentary seat of Rennell and Bellona, is an outer disgrace and sadly, his only answer is – Contest the next election. My point is this - forget the next election and tell us: why are you so doggy and secretive about the advanced $100,000? Additionally, what was the reasoning for your secret deal to give MV Renbel to Pinias Maui and Eric Tema (two known conmen in our community) instead of the Province, the true owner of the $2m that MP Gukuna  and Giusanga had fraud and used to purchase the boat? Where is the last payment of the CDF ($400,000), which Gukuna received a month prior to last election (2010)? These are huge funds and yet Gukuna has escaped without a flinch.

On the other hand, I didn't subscribe to the notion that projected by MP Seth Gukuna’s strong supporters that some of us are “culturally insensitive”, arguing that we are over the top in accusing MP Gukuna. I took exception to Rhyno Kaituu’s opinion piece in the Avaiki Forum, where he had described some of us who are very outspoken of taking the some of the issues too far. I’ve to disagree with you over your claimed that no past MPs (Rennell and Bellona Constituent) have ever gone through what our current MP has gone through since entering politics. The truth is you are wrong. Please research the back copies of the Solomon Star, Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, Solomon Toktok and The Solomon Voice to see how our past MPs were accused and labelled names by individuals in our community.

But they were gracious in their responses. Our former MP, Joses Tuhanuku, was the most attacked MPs in the history of our two islands political debate, mainly personal attacks by the usual suspects. But he (Tuhanuku) understood his role as an MP in the processes of democracy, so in many instances, he simply ignores the personal vendetta against him, but diligently dealt with real issues. Sadly, in the case of MP Gukuna, he had made himself a larger than life political target due to his arrogant attitude and total disrespect of our people, and his usual way of using the media to attack his critics. The fact is our MP deserves what he has received from our people. In the history of Rennell and Bellona politics, this is the first time that an MP of our lone constituent has used his Western education, especially his business knowledge as an MBA graduate, to exploit his own people.

And there are many reasons in the public record that turned many of our educated people against Gukuna. Firstly, no former MP has ever told parliament that we (Renbel) do not deserve an extra seat because of this and that and our people are silly. Isn’t this name calling? Secondly, no former MP has ever openly humiliated our people in the media for asking questions about issues, of course except for our MP. Thirdly, no former MP has ever told his constituent that people are money hungry and you don’t need to know how I wish to spend government funds. Fourthly, no former MP has ever told the mainstream media that he is more qualified than his critics and opponents and as a result, he did not need anybody’s advice. Fifthly, no former MP has ever fraud his Province of $2m shipping grants and remained untouchable and the list goes on.

The only thing that I have known is this - Gukuna has made a name for himself as the first MP from our two islands to buy votes and distribute money at the eve of an election (2010) through his supporters in Bellona. Luckily, the runner up was gracious in defeat, but evidences were mounting. The only reason that I’m holding on to this is many of those who were allegedly involved are distant relatives of mine and publication of their names would create real hatred and family feud. In 2009, following a number of articles, which I had exchanged with MP Gukuna and published by the mainstream media in Solomon Islands, I received a letter from MP Gukuna’s campaign manager in Bellona, Ringo Tini’ika, who is my dad’s half-brother begging me to stop my writing because it was hurting his employment with the MP. Tiniika played a very dirty trick by misinforming my parent and grandfather about the real reasons of my various letters to the Editor, and failed to tell them about MP Gukuna personal attack on me and family.

Secondly, two of my uncles and one of my younger brothers also went to apologise to MP Gukuna on our family behalf over what they've claimed then as an embarrassment that I had caused to the family. Their action was taken without my knowledge and permission, which I only found out about when MP Gukuna wrote a letter to the former Avaiki Forum and apologise for personally attacking myself and family. Thirdly, through Tiniika's misinformation, my grandfather (a Paramount Chief of our tribe and a well-respected traditional and contemporary community leader in both islands, who has also played a huge role in the early developmental aspirations of our people in the 1950s until today, personally wrote to me and requested that I should reconsider or refrain from the media debate because it lowers my status in our community). This cultural nonsense became a burden. After all, stealing in Bellona and Rennell culture is a serious crime that would stigmatise a family name for generations.

Despite my strong objection, I respected my family’s plea, on the basis of maintaining peace in our small Seventh-Day Advenstist Church (SDA) community in Bellona and Rennell Islands. But sadly it did not stop MP Gukuna’s corrupt practices. If the supporters of the MP and himself wish to know more about, I will reveal it in my next article. My reason for publishing it under my name is to take away any legal case against the Renbel Creative Network and Jaytee, the Moderator of the forum. Hon. Gukuna is welcome to reply if he wishes. On the same issue, Phranyta Hong has made a telling point in her above comment: "what goes around comes around". Many of our previous MPs have had their fair share of being accused and labelled names in the media, but they were not aggressively pursuing and humiliating individuals with personal issues. In the end, when you begin name calling, you expect a volley from your opponents.

I guess this is where we need to draw the line. Just for your information. I respect and protect my culture at every twist and turn of my personal and professional life. And I also understand the boundaries of my culture to that of Western culture, particularly when I’m using both Western and Bellona cultures to navigate myself in dealing with contemporary issues of our global community. But I also understand that MPs have been using cultures to cover their wrongs when it is convenient, and on the other hand, hide under the protection of democracy, when they are running foul with our culture. Rhyno– for your info, our MP is threatening one of us, who is simply expressing his views in this forum. This is the level of politicking and cultural understanding that you and our MP are operating on – threatening voters.

Note: Ruben Ngiumaona and Solly Tengemoana are distant relatives from my mother's side of the family. Kokimatou te laeni (Hohonga 'anga)