Solomon MPs run up 100K hotel tab

Transcript

Three MPs in Solomon Islands want the Government to pick up their 100 thousand US dollar tab at the country's premier hotel.

Augustine Auga, David Dei Pacha and Bartholomew Parapolo are the ministers for agriculture, mines and tourism and they have been named by the Opposition as having outstanding bills at the up-market Heritage Park Hotel.

Koroi Hawkins' reports has more

The bills which are for accommodation and food expenses date back to January this year and are believed to have been run up under private arrangements between the individual ministers and the hotel management. Attempts to get the national parliament to settle the debts under parliamentary entitlement regulations were rejected by the clerk to parliament Clezy Rore. Mr Rore says the only hotel bills parliament is obligated to pay are those run up immediately after elections during the lobbying for the formation of government.

CLEZY RORE: When they were trying to form the government I think that has been taken care of because they are there to actually form a government. But after that, that is when we are not obliged to pay. After they have been sworn in as ministers and we have given them the necessary allowance due to them.

The embarrassing situation was brought to the attention of the public by the leader of the opposition who is calling for government not to settle the huge bills. Jeremiah Manele says Solomon Islands taxpayers should not have to pay for the ministers' exorbitant private expenses.

JEREMIAH MANELE: So who is going to pay for the 900 thousand hotel bill? That is the issue. So that would be a questions for the office of the prime minister to answer but this is certainly something that is not budgeted for.

Anti-corruption watchdog Transparency Solomon Islands says the debacle could cost taxpayers more than the 100 thousand US dollars already owed. TSI vice chair, Andrew Muaki says the three ministers were receiving housing allowances of more than a thousand US dollars each month that they were in the hotel.

ANDREW MUAKI:If parliament or the prime minister's office pay for those bills then its basically double dipping. The accommodation at the Heritage Park as you know is the most expensive hotel in Solomon Islands and this basically amounts to double dipping and that is clearly wrong.

The matter is understood to have been referred to the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet for further investigation but numerous attempts to get an update from staff there have so far been unsuccessful.