BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Transparency Solomon Islands (TSI) has raised serious concerns over the continued absence of a Director General at the Solomon Islands Independent Commission Against Corruption (SIICAC), warning that the prolonged leadership space is weakening oversight and undermining the country’s fight against corruption.
The warning comes as Transparency International prepares to release the global Corruption Perception Index (CPI) on 10 February, a key international benchmark for governance and accountability.
In a statement titled “Corruption Wins When Oversight Sleeps,” TSI said SIICAC has remained without a substantive Director General since April 2025, when the contract of former Director General John Kouni expired. Despite interviews and recommendations conducted in late 2025, the position remains unfilled.
TSI said the situation has been further complicated by the Judicial and Legal Service Commission’s (JLSC) decision not to endorse a candidate recommended by the interview panel. While the Ministry of Public Service has clarified that no formal appointment was ever made, the vacancy has persisted and become a matter of growing public concern.
According to TSI, the absence of SIICAC’s mandated head has created an “oversight gap” that limits the commission’s ability to set direction, review cases, and enforce accountability.
“The prolonged vacancy undermines public confidence, delays institutional reforms, and risks weakening accountability mechanisms at a time when governance integrity is under close scrutiny,” the statement said.
TSI also highlighted that the SIICAC Commission itself has not convened a meeting since its appointment, raising further questions about how corruption cases can be reviewed or approved without leadership endorsement.
Without a Director General, TSI warns that SIICAC lacks the authority and operational leadership needed to drive investigations, implement policy reforms, and carry out public education campaigns. Key programmes, including coordination with law enforcement agencies and national and international partners, are reportedly stalled or slowed.
The civil society watchdog said the unclear recruitment process and continued delays risk eroding trust in government institutions and creating perceptions of political interference.
Transparency Solomon Islands has joined other civil society groups, governance advocates, and voices on social media in urging the government to urgently fill the position through a transparent and fair process.
It said appointing a Director General is critical to restoring public trust in SIICAC, ensuring corruption cases are investigated and prosecuted effectively, and safeguarding Solomon Islands’ international reputation as a democracy committed to accountability and the rule of law.
TSI also suggests that if no suitable local candidate is available, the government should consider an interim appointment in consultation with development partners, pointing to Papua New Guinea’s ICAC as an example where external leadership support has enabled progress.
“The prolonged vacancy in SIICAC’s leadership is not just an administrative delay, it is a governance risk,” TSI said.
It urges the GNUT-led Executive Government to act swiftly and appoint a Director General with the independence, integrity, and authority needed to lead the fight against corruption.
“Corruption thrives where oversight is weak,” the TSI statement concluded.
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