Solomon Islands fatigue of corruption, what next?

Recently, Transparency Solomon Islands International revealed that the current government had paid less than $SID15m to a number of Members of Parliament (MPs) and bogus companies under a shipping project. The news had not only led to a strong condemnation by the Opposition Leader of the government but a request for the government to investigate the allegation.

What is more interesting about this case is the manner by which the media, public, and the government had responded to the allegation. It appears to be business as usual. In the past, such a case would generate huge public interests and media backlash. But now, no one seems to care. It is business as usual. And no one knows whether the lack of interests by the public and media, in this case, is a sign of fatigue or something else. Whichever way one looks at this issue, it is a sad reflection of a nation that is now hanging on a cotton trade and fatigue of corruption.

Blatant corruption by successive governments, Prime Ministers and Members of Parliament, including those in the current government, has no longer surprised anybody and nor an exception to the rules. Corruption is now the new norm in the administration of the Solomon Islands government. Prior to the ethnic conflict between 1998 to 2003, allegations of corrupt against government officials and politicians were treated as serious matters. There was a genuine hope that alleged perpetrators of corruption would be brought to justice.

Fast forward that same case to today's environment. When an allegation of corruption is made against an MP or PM or official, the chances of that official or politician to be tried in a court of law is next to zero. The issue is not whether or not the allegation is true or false, but how close is the accused to the center of political power. I guess the issue that might generates some public excitement is how big or small is the amount? And if so, is the amount bigger than other amounts looted by previous governments, MPs, and PMs?

I have known for a fact that majority of public servants in Solomon Islands are honest and decent people, who have pride and credibility to protect. The problem now is - the public service is highly politicized and compromised that honest public servants are no longer willing to take action against cases of corruption within the system. Since the conflict until today, a new culture of corruption has blossomed and perpetrators are getting bolder every year. Honest public servants are no longer the pride and assets of the country. They are now considered as threats to politicians and their interests.

Over the past 10 to 15 years, honest public servants had been intimidated and sidelined from promotions, while corrupt public servants and cronies of politicians had been given positions, promoted and progressed through the ranks. It gave corrupt politicians and their networks a clear power to intimidate honest public servants. Our only hope as a nation, moving into the future, is the media and the judicial system (courts, judges, magistrates, the police) are not corrupt. But no one is certain whether or not it isn't happening.