Bodo Dettke
Encyclopedia
Heinz Horst Bodo Dettke, better known as Bodo Dettke, born 27 February 1967, is a Solomon Islands
politician.
His political career began when he was elected to Parliament as MP for North West Guadalcanal in the August 2010 general election
. He was appointed Ministry for Forestry in Prime Minister Danny Philip
's Cabinet. On 30 November, however, he was sacked over allegations of misconduct; Dettke had ordered the seizure of a ship's cargo of round logs for allegedly "personal reasons", linked to his own ownership of a logging company. On the same day, Fisheries Minister Jimmy Lusibaea
lost his position in Cabinet upon losing his parliamentary seat due to being sentenced to two years and nine months in gaol for assault and grievous bodily harm. The loss of both ministers brought the Philip government's parliamentary support down to twenty-four MPs, just one ahead of Steve Abana
's opposition. The Kolombangara Island Biodiversity Conservation Association (KIBCA) welcomed the sacking, noting that Dettke's logging company, Success Company, had attempted to carry out logging on protected land on Kolombangara
island, before KIBCA successfully obtained a court injunction to prevent a violation of environmental laws. For his part, Dettke suggested "Malaysian loggers in the Solomons Forest Association (SFA) [had] pressured [Philip] to sack him as he was a threat to them in the logging industry".
A few days later, however, Dettke was reinstated in Cabinet, and accepted the Ministry of Fisheries left vacant by Lusibaea.
In January 2011, Dettke was one of several government ministers to resign and join the Opposition, expressing hopes of forcing Prime Minister Philip to resign.
A few days after joining the opposition, he claimed to have been shot at in Honiara
, at night, along with Douglas Ete
(a fellow MP who had also left the government) and said he had been "targeted for having left the government". The police investigated the incident, but claimed Ete and Dettke had not been present at the scene of the shooting, and had therefore not been shot at. The police then released a media statement describing Dettke and Ete's claim as "incorrect and misleading".
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
politician.
His political career began when he was elected to Parliament as MP for North West Guadalcanal in the August 2010 general election
Solomon Islands general election, 2010
A general election was held in the Solomon Islands on 4 August 2010. In May 2010, Prime Minister Derek Sikua announced that the election would be held on 4 August, however, this announcement was deemed to be premature, as only the Governor General has the authority to announce the election date...
. He was appointed Ministry for Forestry in Prime Minister Danny Philip
Danny Philip
Danny Philip is a politician and diplomat from the Solomon Islands. He is the current Prime Minister, who came into office after the 2010 general election. He served as foreign minister from 1995 to 1996 and from July 2000 to June 2001...
's Cabinet. On 30 November, however, he was sacked over allegations of misconduct; Dettke had ordered the seizure of a ship's cargo of round logs for allegedly "personal reasons", linked to his own ownership of a logging company. On the same day, Fisheries Minister Jimmy Lusibaea
Jimmy Lusibaea
Jimmy Lusibaea , also known as Jimmy "Rasta", is a Solomon Islands politician.He became involved in the severe ethnic conflicts on Guadalcanal and Malaita in the early 2000s...
lost his position in Cabinet upon losing his parliamentary seat due to being sentenced to two years and nine months in gaol for assault and grievous bodily harm. The loss of both ministers brought the Philip government's parliamentary support down to twenty-four MPs, just one ahead of Steve Abana
Steve Abana
Steve William Abana is a Solomon Islands politician. He is currently Member of Parliament for Fataleka, and was the Leader of Her Majesty's Opposition from August 2010 to March 2011....
's opposition. The Kolombangara Island Biodiversity Conservation Association (KIBCA) welcomed the sacking, noting that Dettke's logging company, Success Company, had attempted to carry out logging on protected land on Kolombangara
Kolombangara
Kolombangara is an island in the New Georgia Islands group of the Solomon Islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean...
island, before KIBCA successfully obtained a court injunction to prevent a violation of environmental laws. For his part, Dettke suggested "Malaysian loggers in the Solomons Forest Association (SFA) [had] pressured [Philip] to sack him as he was a threat to them in the logging industry".
A few days later, however, Dettke was reinstated in Cabinet, and accepted the Ministry of Fisheries left vacant by Lusibaea.
In January 2011, Dettke was one of several government ministers to resign and join the Opposition, expressing hopes of forcing Prime Minister Philip to resign.
A few days after joining the opposition, he claimed to have been shot at in Honiara
Honiara
Honiara, population 49,107 , 78,190 , is the capital of the Solomon Islands and of Guadalcanal Province, although it is a separately administered town...
, at night, along with Douglas Ete
Douglas Ete
Douglas Ete, born August 4, 1964, is a Solomon Islands politician.After studying at the University of the South Pacific and at Massey University , he worked as Chief Executive Officer at the National Referral Hospital in Solomon Islands....
(a fellow MP who had also left the government) and said he had been "targeted for having left the government". The police investigated the incident, but claimed Ete and Dettke had not been present at the scene of the shooting, and had therefore not been shot at. The police then released a media statement describing Dettke and Ete's claim as "incorrect and misleading".