WALE REFUTES DARCY LILO’S ALLEGATIONS

Editor's Desk

Deputy Opposition Leader, Mathew Wale has refuted the allegation by the Minister for Finance and Treasury, Mr Gordon Darcy Lilo that the Aoke/Langalanga MP ordered the diversion of a Solomon Airlines domestic flight in order to connect to an international flight.

Mr Wale said the allegation was an outright lie by Mr Darcy Lilo in a desperate attempt to divert public attention away from the valid concerns he raised about the unlawful actions by the Gizo/Kolombangara MP.

“This allegation by Mr Darcy Lilo is an outright lie. I suppose his allegation was that I used my influence to direct the bosses of the airlines to order the diversion.

“Only the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the airlines and the Chairman of the airlines board have the power to order the diversion of any of the airlines aircrafts. I did not apply any pressure nor ordered the airlines to do anything as I don’t have the power to do so, neither does Mr Darcy Lilo.

He said the truth of the matter was that the Solomon Airlines ordered the diversion of that scheduled domestic flight from Seghe to Honiara to Auki and then back to Honiara to be connected to an international flight.

The Deputy Opposition Leader said he was booked to travel from Auki to Honiara to travel on that international flight, but the airlines cancelled the domestic flight and did not inform him of the cancellation.

He said he rang up the CEO and the Chairman of the airlines’ board expressing to them that the cancellation was wrong based on the airlines’ policy and that it had affected his overseas travelling.

Mr Wale said it is a policy of the Solomon Airlines that when it has a valid international ticket at any domestic port, flight to that port must not be cancelled and basically the diversion was made to correct that mistake.