Vele praises court decision over deputy’s case

Treasury Secretary Dairi Vele has welcomed the decision of a committal court which found insufficient evidence against his deputy Aloysius Hamou.
Vele said in a statement that he was saddened that an innocent man was a victim of poor police work.
“The decision of the committal court is welcomed with a sense of vindication by us all at Treasury and with relief that justice has been served in our courts,” Vele said.
He said the department acted lawfully and appropriately in the transaction of the Israeli gas turbine.
“I should expect all parties that any further legal action in respect of the same brief of evidence will take account of Magistrate (Cosmas) Bidar’s comprehensive rejection of key tenets of the prosecution’s contention of unlawful conduct on the part of Treasury officials and others in relation to the acquisition of the gas turbines,” Vele said.
“I further hope that this will result in a speedy termination of any other cases and that the perception of an attempt to drag leading public servants into the current political process will end herewith.
“The circumstances of his arrest, as well as proceedings initiated against other officials, were widely publicised in the main stream print and televised media.
“Hamou and other officials’ reputations have been seriously tarnished as a result.”
Vele said there were also copious and inappropriate materials published on social media. He said it was a blatant attempt at tarnishing Hamou’s reputation.