11 Jan 2013

Lilo pulls out of Solomons Leadership Code Commission appointing team

10:46 am on 11 January 2013

The Solomon Islands prime minister, Gordon Darcy Lilo, says he will not be part of the committee that will appoint the two new commissioners within the Leadership Code Commission.

In a statement carried by the Solomon Star, Mr Lilo says his decision was to show his genuineness and to allow the members to appoint the new commissioners independently without favour.

This comes as the Leadership Code Commission is to deal with a complaint by Forum Solomon Islands International against Mr Lilo for alleged misconduct.

The publicity of the alleged extramarital affair has prompted Mr Lilo to take a defamation case against both the Forum and the Solomon Star newspaper, which also published the allegations.

A former politician, Alfred Sasako, says testing the allegations against Mr Lilo is an opportunity for the anti-corruption body to demonstrate its neutrality and independence, especially because the Commission's head is appointed by the prime minister.