Solomons police condemn attack on NZ officer

Updated September 3, 2008 16:28:09

Solomon Islands police have condemned an attack on a New Zealand police officer serving with the Regional Assistance Mission on the Weathercoast of Guadalcanal.

Presenter: Sam Seke
Speaker: Acting Solomon Islands Police Commissioner, Johnson Siapu

SIAPU: He was on a routine business visit to the medical clinic at Avuavu on Guadalcanal. There was a fight outside the clinic and he was attending to the fight but then he was attacked by a man. One of the men, known as Alphonseus Toghovotu who is wanted for a murder in Guadalcanal in 1999, was among these men. Chris was flown in from the area yesterday evening back into Honiara; he is currently receiving medical treatment at the RAMSI hospital here in Honiara. At the same time there was a police contingent sent to the area to investigate and to attend to the report.

SEKE: Now was Constable Chris Renata alone at that time, were any other members of the Solomon Islands Police Force or the participating police with him?

SIAPU: There was no colleague of his from the Solomon Islands police force, there was no one with him at that time.

SEKE: Any idea what the motive was for the attack?

SIAPU: At this time we have not established a motive. I will rely on the police investigations that is currently ongoing since yesterday from the area.

SEKE: So you have deployed some police officers to the Weathercoast, to Avuavu, what are you expecting of them?

SIAPU: I am expecting that they will be able to investigate the matter and hopefully arrest any of the offenders who have committed this crime. And hopefully come up with further information as to what has actually happened yesterday.

SEKE: Now the injuries sustained by Constable Renata, how serious was it?

SIAPU: I do not have the medical report but it is serious enough that he required urgent medical attention, that was why he was flown back into Honiara.

SEKE: Are there other members of the participating RAMSI police on the Weathercoast right now?

SIAPU: We sent a team of Solomon Islands police officers and participating police officers and a small team of military personnel to be part of the contingent that went down yesterday.

SEKE: And how do other members of the RAMSI participating police react to such an incident on one of their members?

SIAPU: The participating police force members came into Solomon Islands and are still in the Solomon Islands supporting us in this return of law and order. And it is sad that people are attacking them in this kind of manner and we in the Solomon Islands Police Force, and I believe the Solomon Islands government do condemn this kind of cowardly act. And so that is why we have launched this operation to try and catch the offenders in the area.