8 Jan 2014

Solomons' Temotu police urge landowners to abide by law

7:05 pm on 8 January 2014

The commander of police in Solomon Islands' Temotu province is urging aggrieved landowners to abide by the law.

On Boxing Day, a group of landowners on Vanikoro Island caused almost 140,000 US dollars worth of damage to vehicles and equipment owned by a locally-contracted foreign logging company that had set up camp on their land.

Alfred Uiga says police officers are on their way to the island to arrest those responsible, including an Anglican priest whom police believe to have instructed his wantoks or relatives to vandalise the property.

He says he knows they did it in retribution for damage to their land by the loggers.

"But there are ways that they should have followed so that the company will pay what sort of damage they have responsibility to the landowners than to jump to the conclusion of damaging those logging machines."

Alfred Uiga says only the court can decide who is guilty of wrongdoing.