Goff in Solomons: NZ will not tolerate corruption

HONIARA - Defence Minister Phil Goff has told Solomon Islands MPs that New Zealand will not tolerate corruption, including the siphoning of aid or other money into private hands.

Mr Goff, who met with eight mostly opposition MPs today including prime ministerial hopeful Manasseh Sogavare, said he told them New Zealand was against corruption in any form.

That included vote buying in the run-up to next week's election of a new prime minister and the diversion of aid and government money into MPs' pockets.

Allegations of vote buying were believed to be one of the triggers for last week's rioting which caused widespread damage in Honiara, the capital of the island nation.

New Zealand has a generous aid programme to the Solomons, aimed at fostering economic development.

Its police and military presence as part of the Regional Assistance Mission (Ramsi) also comes at a cost of several million dollars a year.

Mr Goff also told the group that MPs linked to last week's riots could expect no special treatment. They would be arrested and detained if there was evidence implicating them.

He said the MPs were supportive.

Critics have said two opposition MPs facing charges should be bailed so they can take part in next week's vote, but Mr Goff said they would be treated like anyone else.

"You just cannot make exceptions in this kind of situation."

Overall 112 people have been arrested in relation to the riots, six of them for instigating the rampage of burning and looting.

Last night, Will Jamieson, commander of Ramsi's police arm, told reporters more arrests were imminent as police moved to smash underground groups they believed played a part in organising some of the violence.

He refused to comment on whether more MPs were among them.

Mr Goff said the arrests and the police investigation showed the justice system was working.

He said things seemed calm in Honiara now, but there were fears violence could again flare up around next week's election of the prime minister.

Police believe some of the riot's instigators are still at large and there have been reports of some people carrying military assault rifles during the rioting.

Mr Goff said decisions would be made on whether extra police and troops brought over after the riots would stay, once the new prime minister was elected.

There are 125 New Zealand troops and 64 police in the Solomons.

However, he reiterated to the MPs that New Zealand would maintain a presence in the Solomons for as long as it was needed.

He said there was strong support for Ramsi among the group of MPs. However, there would be a discussion of Ramsi's role after a government was formed with a possible change in focus, to reflect the fact that the environment had changed since it first stepped in, in the midst of a civil war in 2003.

Yesterday, Mr Goff hit back at critics of Ramsi, including those who say police provoked the rioting by firing teargas into a peaceful demonstration.

Mr Goff said that police had only moved against the protesters after they attacked and injured police and set fire to cars outside Parliament.

- NZPA