The Office of the Prime Minister today distanced itself from the confrontation between former Forestry Minister Bodo Detke and some logging interests in the country.
A statement from the Prime Minister's Officer says what is unfolding is the result of an "ongoing personal and commercial dispute between the former Minister and some loggers which began even before Mr. Detke was elected to Parliament."It says any attempts to link Mr. Detke's sacking to this longstanding conflict with loggers is simply a convenient excuse to cover up why Mr. Detke has been sacked.
The statement says reasons why the Prime Minister decided to sack Mr. Detke are internal to the Government and those that need to know including Mr. Detke have been duly informed.
It says anyone who comes up with different reasons as the basis of the sacking, have done so, purely for political reasons.
The Prime Minister's Office also adds that there are internal avenues which the Prime Minister has been using and will continue to use through direct and open dialogue to deal with any differences and this is normal in any Government.
It says the political appointee who attacked other political appointees in the Prime Minister's Office and quoted by the Solomon Star Newspaper is a supporter of Mr. Detke and the political appointee in question was nominated by Mr. Detke.
The statement says if this particular political appointee is not happy about Mr. Detke's sacking he should also follow suit.