The call has been made by the MP for Central Makira Benard Ghiro in relation to media coverage of his failure to repay $27,000 paid to him as per diem to attend the Samoa South Pacific Games last year as minister responsible for sports, but he did not go.

In an interview with the National Express, Mr. Ghiro said that the Government had paid per diem for him and his wife to attend the games but they did not go due to medical reasons over an issue that occurred just before they were scheduled to travel.

He said that had he and his wife actually traveled to the SPG the per diem paid to him and his wife was money they were entitled to use without having to account for it.

Mr Ghiro said that when they were preparing to go, he decided to use most of his per diem money to ensure that his family was being looked after while they were both away, and that had they traveled they believed that the per diem paid to his wife would be adequate for them in Samoa.

He said however that when they aborted the trip in the last minute he returned the per diem paid to his wife to the government while he instructed the Ministry of Finance through his Permanent Secretary to recover the money from his pay.

The former Home Affairs Minister said that while he does not want to interfere with the freedom of the press in Solomon Islands news reporter should do all they can to allow people are who being accused to put across their side of the story.

"This is democracy and one of the fundamental principles of democracy was justice and fairness including those that have serious allegations leveled against them," Mr. Ghiro said.


Source: National Express