Police in Solomon Islands are offering a $US12,000 reward for information about a shooting and arson attack on a speed boat in 2014.
Photo: RNZI Koroi Hawkins
The incident which took place on the 9th of December at Mbike in the Florida Islands has been widely reported by local media as being politically motivated.
This is because the boat which was shot at and set alight, was at the time chartered by MPs for a political retreat on the eve of the country's prime ministerial elections.
In a statement released today Solomons police said a reward of up to one hundred thousand Solomon dollars would be paid, at the discretion of the Commissioner of Police and an executive panel, for information leading to the apprehension and prosecution of the person or persons responsible for the shooting.
Police said any information received would be treated as confidential and said protection would be provided for anyone who had information about the shooting but feared for their personal safety if they reported it.
This is the latest development in a convoluted case with local media reports over the past two years showing that at least four suspects have already been charged and committed to the high court in relation to the shooting.
Other reports seem to indicate that police investigations had stalled drawing criticism from defence lawyers and the court.
RNZ International is seeking clarification from the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force on both the progress of the original case and the reasons for issuing the reward.
Information regarding the shooting can be reported to the Royal Solomon Islands Police on a dedicated phone line, (+677) 20371, which will be open from 8am to 8pm everyday for a week from today.
