Police ready to swoop in on the first three MPs.

 

POLICE could swoop in on the first group of MPs accused of misusing public funds shortly, sources familiar with the arrangements said yesterday.

At least three are expected to be arrested shortly.

It is not clear whether the trio are sitting MPs or former national politicians as no further clarification could be obtained.

They are part of a group of up to 21 MPs including some former ones, whose use of the grants from the controversial Rural Constituency Development Fund (RCDF) have attracted police scrutiny in recent years.

According to sources, police have completed their investigations into the use or misuse of the RCDF grants on specific cases, including the $10 million National Cattle Rehabilitation Project.

Funds from the cattle rehabilitation project were handed out in 2008 in an effort to save the government of the day.

The exercise proved futile as MPs who received funding simply took the money and run.

Newspaper reports this week had it that a number of Ministers in the DCC government are said to be in the group on the police radar, sources familiar with the police investigation into the matter have confirmed.

Those familiar with the matter said police face an uphill battle in making arrests because of alleged political interference, a fact which forced a number of past police commissioners to leave the post before their tenures were up.

As a result, how fast police move on the cases depends largely on handling the delicate balance between political undercurrents and upholding the law.

Advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is also a big factor as police rely on DPP’s advice to execute arrest warrants.

The newspaper report said that up to 21 MPs including former ones are under the police radar.

“The investigations have been completed and police are finalising details on charges and potential charges before they make a move on arrests,” one source said.

Arrests of MPs present the biggest challenge yet for new Police Commissioner, Mathew Varley, who took on the rein from Frank Prendergast a week ago.

“There is no doubt that the public is with Commissioner Varley. The question is whether he is willing to stand up to politicians in carrying out his statutory duties in upholding the law,” others said.

The RCDF grants which account for more than a third of the nation’s annual budget has been a source of contention for voters.

Those who voted losing candidates always claim they never received any assistance at all from the annual $350 million budget outlay.

Taiwan and SIG co-fund the RCDF grants on annual basis.

This year, each Constituency is entitled to $7 million in grants intended to generate micro economic activities in the rural areas.

Many contend that the grants were largely spent in Honiara on items which fall outside the funding criteria of the RCDF grants.