Police officers from Taskforce Janus today (14 May 2025) rearrested the former Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development (MID), Mr. Henry Murray, and returned him to Rove Correctional Facility for his 4-year imprisonment.
Mr. Murray was arrested in 2018 by police officers from Taskforce Janus on multiple official corruption charges, which total up to over a million dollars.
Between 2014 and 2017, Mr. Murray and his wife operated a company called Krash Transport and Marketing, which corruptly received payments from the MID.
He was convicted by the Honiara Central Magistratesโ Court in 2019 and sentence to 4 yearsโ imprisonment. The former PS MID subsequently appealed the conviction and was released on bail pending the outcome.
On 5 May 2025, all grounds of appeal were dismissed by the High Court, and the court ordered that the original sentence be reinstated and commence immediately.
Supervising Commissioner Mr. Ian Vaevaso said this case highlights the dangers of public officialsโ engagement in activities that involve conflicts of interest, particularly where family members are involved.
Commissioner Vaevaso said public officers need to be aware of their legal obligations to act honestly and without bias at all times. Public officers must always remain impartial and independent in carrying out their duties so as to maintain the public confidence in the government.
Mr. Vaevaso said, “This has been a long, complex, and prolonged investigation. But the outcome is a testimony to the dedication and hard work of Taskforce Janus and the prosecutors from the Director of Public Prosecution.”
“It demonstrates that senior public officials can and will be held accountable for wrongdoing. The long hands of the law will reach you despite how long it takes,” said Mr. Vaevaso.
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