Gov’t gives ultimatum to public solicitor to explain

Esape: Jimmy Lusibaea's lawyer heads towards the waiting plane. (Photo: supplied)

Editor's Desk

The Government has written to the Public Solicitor urging him to “fully explain to Cabinet by December 17, 2010 the circumstances surrounding the unplanned departure of Mr. Robert Cavangh” from Honiara yesterday.

Mr. Cavangh represented former Fisheries Minister, Hon Jimmy Lusibaea MP, in the recent criminal case involving the MP. The lawyer was to have represented Hon Lusibaea MP in his appeal case yesterday (see story page 3), but he was nowhere to be found.

The Public Solicitor and another lawyer from the Public Solicitor’s Office, Mr. Edward Cade, later told Cabinet in a briefing this afternoon that Mr. Cavanagh had “had a heart attack” which required medical attention in Australia.

In the letter to the Public Solicitor, Hon Minister for Finance and Treasury, Hon Gordon Darcy Lilo MP, who presided over Cabinet yesterday, said information had come to light that Mr. Cavangh “did not have any health issues or concerns/complication that warrants his absence” from court yesterday.

“Therefore Cabinet is of the opinion that Mr. Robert Cavangh might have been pressured by his employer(s) to leave this jurisdiction on the excuse that he was seriously unwell.

“As mentioned above, Cabinet has learned from Solomon Airlines, after it has obtained reliable advice from ASPEN personnel’s that Mr. Robert Cavangh was well, fit and had no medical or health issues prior or leading up to yesterday, the day Hon Jimmy Lusibaea’s bail hearing was to take place in the High Court,” the two page letter said.

“The conduct of Mr. Robert Cavangh and that of his employer(s) has serious implication for the rule of law and quite seriously undermine the criminal justice system in this country, not to mention the constitutional and legal rights of Hon Jimmy Lusibaea,” the letter said.

“I therefore call on you, as the Public Solicitor to fully explain to Cabinet by December 17, the circumstances surrounding the unplanned departure of Mr. Robert Cavangh when he was supposed to appear in court and represent his client, Hon Jimmy Lusibaea on December 10 (yesterday),” it said.

Meanwhile separate briefings provided to Cabinet showed Mr. Cavanagh was “fit and well” to travel.

Mr. Cavanagh traveled on a commercial flight to Brisbane yesterday afternoon.

Cabinet has also received photographs of Mr. Cavangh wearing an Akubra hat and walking unaided to the aircraft.

In one photograph, he was seen talking on his mobile phone as he walked towards the aircraft, again, unaided.