Corruption an issue among Cook Island leaders

Transcript

Recent investigations of parliament members in the Cook Islands is revealing corruption as a serious issue among the country's leaders.

Last week the leader of the opposition One Cook Islands party, Teina Bishop, was convicted of corruption.

Prime Minister Henry Puna is now currently being investigated by the Financial Intelligence Unit over a money advance to transport company Pacific Schooners and to Manihiki atoll.

The finance minister, Mark Brown, and the deputy prime minister, Teariki Heather, are also being investigated for various misspending allegations.

Moana Ioane from the Cook Islands party has just been found guilty of bribery under the electoral act.

Our correspondent Florence Syme-Buchanan spoke to Indira Stewart.

FLORENCE SYME-BUCHANAN: With his deputy prime minister, Mr Teariki Heather under investigation for allegations of corruption, he has refused to stand Mr Heather down from cabinet. So that creates a lot of concern in the community, not just with the opposition, but in the wider community as well because the deputy prime minister is also the minister of police and he also holds the portfolio for infrastructure in the Cook Islands. Which is the focus of the financial intelligence unit investigation. And of course, police is the only agency who can lay charges against Mr Heather, if this is found to be appropriate. I think that the call has been made very strongly for the prime minister to at least stand Mr Heather down, because he is the minister of police and the minister of infrastructure Cook Islands. The integrity of the entire investigation could be compromised because he holds these two portfolios.

IS: Do you think there just isn't enough accountability in parliament?

FSB: Absolutely. And what we need is a robust and very firm and straight-forward code of conduct. What there is, is very very brief and scant - in the act. And so, what's needed here, because that's become quite obvious with all these cases happening, is a code of conduct that's quite firm and states quite clearly what happens to a minister if they come under investigation.

IS: Is that a view that a lot of people hold?

FSB: Yes because there's constant letters to the editor and for years now there have been calls for a code of conduct and there have been promises made by MP's over the years that they would introduce a code of conduct as a Private Members bill or as a political platform you know, as a political promise. And it's never happened.

IS: The anti-corruption committee was established in 2011, a few years ago, and they were established to strengthen prevention towards corruption and also come up with strategies to combat corruption in the country. Do you think it's made a difference?

FSB: Well obviously it hasn't because we've got all these cases here. It's probably something of a joke that we have an anti-corruption committee. But it hasn't done anything to curb any allegations of corruption in government and by politicians.