Solomons police criticized in `murder conspiracy' case

"I would like to emphasize very strongly that the criminal justice system in this country will not be allowed to be interfered with, to be tainted, to satisfy people's personal vendettas, more so for police to make up stories."

Ronald Talasasa, Solomon Islands prosecutor

An Australian man charged with conspiring to murder the prime minister of the Solomon Islands was released on bail yesterday as a prosecutor suggested he could be the victim of a police vendetta.

Bill Johnson, 61, was charged last week with conspiracy to commit murder after he was arrested at a hotel in the South Pacific island nation's capital, Honiara.

Police said four alleged co-conspirators had yet to be found and police successfully applied for the Honiara Magistrates Court on Tuesday last week to deny Johnson bail so that he could not interfere with witnesses.

But Prosecutor Ronald Talasasa did not oppose Johnson's bail application in the same court yesterday. Talasasa told the court that key witnesses had changed their stories.

The prosecutor successfully applied for a two-week adjournment so that police could further their investigation.

Talasasa said that his office would not tolerate police concocting stories for their own agendas.

"I would like to emphasize very strongly that the criminal justice system in this country will not be allowed to be interfered with, to be tainted, to satisfy people's personal vendettas, more so for police to make up stories," Talasasa said.

"My office will not tolerate this type of attitude from police personnel," he added.

Magistrate William Seneka ordered Johnson released on bail of US$800 and ordered that he report weekly to police, surrender his passport and reappear in court on Feb. 21.

Johnson, a Vietnam war veteran who has lived in the Solomons since 1992, said: "It's good to be released. They looked after me very well in prison."

He lives with his Solomons Islander wife and three children on the outlying island of Malaita.

The charge sheet which alleged that Australia had offered a bounty for the murder of Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare deepened a diplomatic rift between the two countries.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said his government was not involved in any such plot.

Opposition Leader Fred Fono this week called for a thorough investigation to determine whether there had been a murder plot.

He said the opposition hoped the allegation was not an attempt to build support for Sogavare's plan to rearm the police force, or to garner sympathy for his administration.

The police rearming plan, intended to start with Sogavare's personal bodyguards, is opposed by the Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands.