By Sarah C. LaBelle
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Oceania

PAPE’ETE, French Polynesia – Investigators searched the offices of Jean-Dominique des Arcis and seized documents believed to be related to the 1997 disappearance of journalist Jean-Pascal Couraud.  Des Arcis used to work with Couraud, and recently gave conflicting reports of what happened around the time of the disappearance.

Couraud, former editor of Les Nouvelles de Tahiti (a Tahitian newspaper), disappeared in 1997, and authorities declared it a suicide at the time.  In October 2004, however, former spy Vetea Guilloux testified during France’s Clearstream scandal that Couraud was in fact killed by drowning during a horrendous interrogation by the Polynesian Intervention Group (GIP).  [GIP was a police unit under the command of then-president Gaston Flosse to monitor the government’s political opponents.]  Guilloux changed his testimony a few times, first saying that he was present at the interrogation, and later saying that he had only overheard two GIP colleagues, Tino Maraa and Tutu Manate, boasting about it.  He then retracted the murder claim altogether, only to reiterate during his appeal that Couraud had been murdered.

There have been rumours that Couraud was killed because he had information on then French president Jacques Chirac’s involvement in “questionable dealings” related to the Clearstream affair, according to the New Zealand Herald, while other rumours give a series of articles that portrayed Flosse in an unflattering light as the reason for Couraud’s disappearance.

In response to Guilloux’s testimony, Couraud’s family filed a murder complaint against unknown persons for Couraud’s death.  Couraud’s brother Phillipe told the New Zealand Herald that he does not believe his brother’s death was ordered by either Chirac or Flosse, but that he believes Jean-Pascal was accidentally killed during GIP questioning.

The probe was about to be closed this November because the first investigative judge did not find any evidence of murder.  Couraud’s family appealed this finding, and a new investigative judge will be appointed to continue the inquiry.  Phillipe Couraud said, “We really think things will change and we will get to the end of this.  In the file, what we have are a lot of declarations of people who were not friends but colleagues [of the alleged killers], who have heard people from the GIP telling the story of the assassination.  […]  Twelve people came to see us and said ‘hey, your brother has been killed by these people.’ “

Reporters Without Borders has been calling on the French government to get to the bottom of the case:

“Recent developments suggest the inquiry into [Couraud’s] presumed death can now move forward.  It is urgent, morally and legally, that all elements in this case are revealed.  The French authorities must not provide an argument for those who think French Polynesia is a place where shady deals are done or the law can be flouted.”

For more information, please see:

Radio New Zealand International – Reporters Without Borders calls for Couraud case to be probed – 13 December 2007

Scoop (Reporters Without Borders) – France Urged To Act In Case Of Missing Journalist – 16 December 2007

Radio New Zealand International – Lawyer’s office searched in case of missing French Polynesian journalist – 20 December 2007

New Zealand Herald – Journalist’s death poses questions, 10 years on – 23 December 2007

SUVA, Fiji — Ballu Khan, the New Zealand business man who was implicated in the attempted assassination plot of interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, was not released from the hospital yesterday as he was originally expected to be.  Khan has been at the Suva Private Hospital for the past few weeks after his skull was fractured and his was broken by Fiji police officials during an interrogation.  While Khan has remained a suspect in the attempted assassination of the interim PM, he has still not been formally charged and the police have not gotten an opportunity to question him due to the extent of his injuries.

QC Peter Williams, Khan’s lawyer, filed civil charges against the interim government over the injuries sustained by Khan.  Williams released a statement yesterday that he believed the $40 million lawsuit was progressing well.  Asked whether he thought that his client could receive a fair hearing, Williams responded, ” that it was essential to have trust in the rule of law”.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International — Fiji businessman to be released from hospital tomorrow — 20 December 2007

Fiji Broadcasting Corporation Limited — Khan’s lawsuit progressing well – QC — 21 December 2007

Pacific Magazine — Khan Still in Hospital, Still not Charged over Assassination Claims — 21 December 2007

SUVA, Fiji — Ballu Khan, the New Zealand business man who was implicated in the attempted assassination plot of interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, was not released from the hospital yesterday as he was originally expected to be.  Khan has been at the Suva Private Hospital for the past few weeks after his skull was fractured and his was broken by Fiji police officials during an interrogation.  While Khan has remained a suspect in the attempted assassination of the interim PM, he has still not been formally charged and the police have not gotten an opportunity to question him due to the extent of his injuries.

QC Peter Williams, Khan’s lawyer, filed civil charges against the interim government over the injuries sustained by Khan.  Williams released a statement yesterday that he believed the $40 million lawsuit was progressing well.  Asked whether he thought that his client could receive a fair hearing, Williams responded, ” that it was essential to have trust in the rule of law”.

For more information, please see:
Radio New Zealand International — Fiji businessman to be released from hospital tomorrow — 20 December 2007

Fiji Broadcasting Corporation Limited — Khan’s lawsuit progressing well – QC — 21 December 2007

Pacific Magazine — Khan Still in Hospital, Still not Charged over Assassination Claims — 21 December 2007

HONIARA, Solomon Islands – Dr. Derek Sikua was elected Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands today.  The former opposition group, now the Coalition for National Unity and Rural Advancement (CNURA), received 32 of 47 votes cast this morning.  Sikua will be sworn in tomorrow.

Sikua has only been in parliament for a year and a half, and served as education minister in the Sogavare government before defecting in November.  He holds a Ph.D. in educational decentralization and has previously served in a variety of high positions in the ministry of education.

Fred Fono is expected to be named deputy prime minister tomorrow.

For more information, please see:

Solomon Times – New Prime Minister for Solomon Islands – 20 December 2007

Islands Business – Dr Sikua is Solomon Islands new PM – 20 December 2007

Radio New Zealand International – Solomons parliament elects Sikua as new PM– 20 December 2007

The Australian – Sikua elected new Solomons PM – 20 December 2007

National Parliament of the Solomon Islands – official website entry for Dr. Sikua

For background information on the political crisis in the Solomon Islands that led to Sikua’s election today, please see the Impunity Watch articles on last month’s defections, the continuing instability, the heated arguments, and the successful no confidence motion against the Sogavare government last week.

For more information on the Moti affair, a key element of CNURA’s argument against the Sogavare government, please see the Impunity Watch reports onMoti’s appointment as attorney general for the Solomons, PNG government involvement in Moti’s escape, the Vanuatu case status, Australia’s extradition attempt and the missing PNG inquiry report, PNG court refusal to suppress the inquiry report, and Moti’s fear of assassination attempts.  The inquiry report itself was released to Dade on 28 September, and he found the inquiry to be illegal at the end of October.  The issue is on appeal in the PNG court system,barring public debate at this time.

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea – The Papua New Guinea chapter of Transparency International (TIPNG) has drawn Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare’s ire over the past week for comments made to the press.  TIPNG board chairman Mike Manning told an anti-corruption seminar recently that a third of PNG’s budget is stolen by corrupt politicians.

Manning said that these politicians are not punished for their crimes, but are re-elected instead.  “Until we impose on people a sense of shame for doing wrong, we are never going to stop corruption,” he added.  Manning believes that the pervasive corruption in PNG is degrading the nation’s infrastructure.

In response, Somare challenged Transparency International to name names rather than make “hasty generalizations”.  He requested that if TIPNG has relevant information, that information be turned over to the police and relevant enforcement agencies.  “Otherwise,” he said, “they should stop playing power games under the guise of transparency.”

Somare and Transparency International have had some minor scuffles in the press before, most recently over the Moti affair and Somare’s alleged involvement in it.

For more information, please see:

Stuff.co.nz (AAP) – A third of PNG govt budget stolen each year – 06 December 2007

PNG Office of the Prime Minister – Name corrupt politicians, Sir Michael urges Transparency International – 10 December 2007

Pacific Magazine – Sir Michael Blasts Transparency International Comments – 18 December 2007