The Solomon Islands Independent Commission Against Corruption (SIICAC) delivers core services across three statutory pillars: enforcement, institutional prevention, and public engagement.

The primary services and functional activities include:

1. Complaint Intake & Investigation

  • Maintaining the Complaints Register: Processing reports of alleged corruption from public servants, whistleblowers, and citizens.
  • Conducting Investigations: Assessing evidence regarding public and private sector bribery, abuse of office, and illicit financial transactions.
  • Referral Protocols: Collaborating with law enforcement, such as the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) and the Leadership Code Commission (LCC), to route cases that fall outside its strict criminal mandate.

2. Prevention & Institutional Risk Management

  • Corruption Risk Assessment and Management (CRAM): Conducting surveys inside high-risk ministries—such as Forestry, Fisheries, and Mining—to pinpoint policy loopholes and strengthen internal audit tracks.
  • Integrity Officer Training: Deploying UNDP-supported IT and training resources to train designated “Integrity Officers” within provincial assemblies and national ministries.

3. Public Awareness & Education

  • Provincial Outreach Campaigns: Hosting community forums, legal educational drives, and anti-corruption awareness tours across the islands.
  • Youth Engagement Workshops: Partnering with civil society organizations and schools to educate young people on public resource protection and reporting mechanisms.

4. Prosecution Services

  • Case Resolution & Filing: Preparing legal cases post-investigation.
  • Judicial Enforcement: Prosecuting designated corruption offenses directly through the courts system, subject to the statutory consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

Operational Note: While SIICAC handles community awareness and risk assessments, full scale case processing has recently faced delays as the newly sworn-in commission awaits the formal placement of its permanent Director-General.

Contact and Location:

  • Office Location: Level 2, City Centre Building, P.O. Box G5, Honiara, Solomon Islands.
  • Telephone Inquiry Line: +(677) 26832.

Permitted Offenses & The CRAM Survey Process

The legal scope of offenses SIICAC investigates and how they execute their preventive Corruption Risk Assessment and Management (CRAM) surveys across ministries are detailed below.

Legally Permitted Offenses

Under the Anti-Corruption Act 2018, SIICAC is strictly mandated to handle criminal corruption offenses, rather than administrative errors. If an act does not violate these criminal statutes, SIICAC must legally reroute it to bodies like the Ombudsman or the Police.

The primary criminal behaviors SIICAC has the legal authority to investigate and prosecute include:

  • Public and Private Bribery: Giving, offering, soliciting, or accepting any undue advantage or financial benefit to influence an official act.
  • Abuse of Office: A public official intentionally performing (or failing to perform) an act in violation of laws to obtain an illicit benefit for themselves or another person.
  • Embezzlement and Misappropriation: The theft, diversion, or misuse of public funds, property, or resources by an official who has control over them.
  • Illicit Enrichment: A significant, unexplained increase in the assets of a public official that cannot be reasonably explained in relation to their lawful income.
  • Interference with Justice / General Offenses: Specific enforcement violations listed under Part 5 of the Act, including impersonating an authorized officer, obstructing or threatening an investigator, and intentionally providing misleading information or documents.

The CRAM Survey Process

The Corruption Risk Assessment and Management (CRAM) initiative is SIICAC’s institutional shield, designed alongside the National Anti-Corruption Strategy to stop corruption before it happens. It is a collaborative review process executed through specific phases:

[Phase 1: Engagement] ➔ [Phase 2: Baseline Survey] ➔ [Phase 3: System Review] ➔ [Phase 4: Action Plan]

Phase 1: Institutional Engagement

SIICAC targets ministries managing high-value natural resources or large public procurement funds (e.g., the Ministry of Forestry and Research and the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources). They enter the ministry to establish a cooperative working baseline with senior management.

Phase 2: Baseline Data Collection

SIICAC deploys structured surveys and diagnostic questionnaires to public officials within the ministry. These surveys gather data regarding behavioral risks, employee attitudes toward integrity, and common pressures to bypass official protocols.

Phase 3: Systemic Vulnerability Mapping

SIICAC analysts audit internal controls, looking specifically for “loopholes” such as:

  • Lack of separating duties in financial transactions.
  • Unchecked discretionary powers given to a single official when awarding licenses or grants.
  • Weak or non-transparent digital audit trails.

Phase 4: Strategy & Policy Implementation

The findings are compiled into an actionable risk register. SIICAC then collaborates with the ministry to design targeted internal controls, train localized Integrity Officers, and establish rigid oversight procedures to deter future corrupt practices.