The Solomon Islands prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, is pressing ahead with plans to sue the Solomon Star newspaper over a letter it published last Friday.
The letter alleges that the opposition leader, Fred Fono, would have won the prime ministerial election last year had Mr Sogavare not promised a nearly 3,000 U.S. dollar bribe.
The prime minister's press secretary, Deli Oso, says Mr Sogavare has condemned the allegations and described them as nothing short of criminal defamation basically aimed at discrediting him.
She says he has issued a letter of notification to the publisher of the paper.
"Telling him that he has commenced legal proceedings against him and the Auki Urban Insider for the article carried in last Friday's letters to the editor column in the Solomon Star."
The Prime minister's Press secretary, Deli Oso.
The Solomon Star has told SIBC that it has received the letter and is seeking legal advice over the matter.
