CANBERRA (Pacnews) — The ousted Australian commissioner of the Solomon Islands police has blamed his hard-line on corruption for the ban on him re-entering the Pacific nation and vowed to fight for his job.
Shane Castles said the Solomon Islands government’s “disgraceful act” to declare him an undesirable immigrant was a desperate move following his cleanup of the police service and the arrest of, or investigations into, senior members of the government of Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.
Speaking for the first time since last week’s ban, Castles, who has been on holiday in New South Wales said he is considering taking defamation action even if the ban were lifted and he is able to serve out his contract to April.
“There are no grounds, justification, nor has there been an explanation, for this unfair and invalid use of the Immigration Act,” he said.
“Any reasonable person would view this as a smear campaign and a desperate act of the government to do this while I am on leave.”
His insistence that he will fulfill his contract came despite the appearance of advertisements for his replacement in Solomons Islands newspapers.
The Australian high commission is expected to seek a meeting with Foreign Minister Patterson Oti who, on Dec. 27, issued the notice with a warning that Castles would be arrested if he returned to the country.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard described the ban as an “unfair and unreasonable decision” that is not justified by any action of Castles since he took over the police in April 2005.
Castles told The Australian of his intention to return to the Solomon Islands as Fiji’s sacked police commissioner, Australian Andrew Hughes, confirmed he would be “reabsorbed” next month into the Australian Federal Police, where he previously rose to the rank of assistant commissioner.
Hughes left Fiji on the eve of last month’s military coup after receiving death threats.
Castles said it was his corruption investigations and, particularly, the continuing probe into the attorney general designate, Australian lawyer Julian Moti, which led to his “constructive dismissal” under the guise of the immigration ban.
“I said publicly (on Dec. 13) that Moti, and others, was still under investigation. You can draw your own conclusions,” he said.
Moti was smuggled into the Solomon Islands on Oct. 10 from Papua New Guinea, where he was awaiting extradition to Australia on child rape charges.
Castles backed a subsequent raid on Sogavare’s office as part of the immigration investigation.
In December, charges against Moti, a senior public servant and a lawyer, were dropped after Immigration Minister Peter Shanel, who has also been charged, produced an exemption order on the illegal entry.
Castles said tensions with Sogavare had been mounting since the prime minister took office after the April riots in Honiara.
Two of Sogavare’s ministers were charged over the riots.
“At the core of this whole thing is that the police force, under my leadership, has moved towards upholding the rule of law without fear or favor,” he said. “And that means tackling corruption.”
Opposition leader Fred Fono said Castles’s ban was an attempt by Sogavare to replace him with a stooge and put government MPs above the law.
Castles said he believed he could still do the job despite government animosity.
“God willing, everything will be sorted out, I will lawfully return, finish the job and see what happens after that,” he said.