Solomon Island police raided the office of In-depth Solomons without a valid warrant to extract the identity of a government whistleblower behind a tax evasion investigation by the media outlet. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the harassment of investigative journalist Georgina Maka’a and calls for stronger protections for whistleblowers disclosing information to the media in the Solomon Islands.
Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) officers attended the office of In-depth Solomons (IDS) on August 25 to question Georgina Maka’a, a co-founder of IDS, about the identity of a source who supported an investigative report published by the outlet in 2025. The IDS story detailed concerns by auditors over an alleged tax discrepancy of SI$85billion (USD 10billion) linked to Solomon Island Tabacco Company Ltd, a subsidiary of British American Tobacco.
Maka’a said that on August 25 she received a phone call from a police officer asking her to identify the source and hand over a document related to the story which she refused to do. The same day two police then came to the IDS office in Honoria with one accompanying her to search her desk and another who took her into a room for questioning. She was then taken to a police station to write a statement, where the police made attempts to take her phone and laptop. Maka’a continued to refuse to name the source and advised she no longer possessed the document.
Police handling of the matter was brought into question when it was revealed to Maka’a that the search warrant bore the name of another person, the former head of the local press association, Georgina Kekea. Despite the bungle, police persisted in their pursuit and questioning of the journalist. In a statement the RSIPF “acknowledged that an administrative error occurred in the name stated on the search warrant when it was executed” but defended police actions under the guise of national security. It said the case was now with the director of public prosecutions.
The raid on IDS came two months after another report by the outlet prompted the suspension of the country’s new police commissioner Ian Vaevaso just two months into his appointment. Maka’a reported on the investigation and highlighted a potential conflict-of-interest within the tribunal appointed to the case. Her piece triggered authorities to remove the compromised tribunal member.
The editor of IDS and president of the Media Association of the Solomon Islands (MASI), Ofani Eremae, said “We acknowledge that police have a responsibility to investigate alleged offences. However, that responsibility must be exercised with respect for the constitutional protections afforded to the media and the legitimate role of journalists in a democratic society.”
Sources disclosing information to the press are not currently protected under the Solomon Islands’ Whistleblowers Protection Act 2018 leaving investigative journalists vulnerable. Just days before her questioning, Maka’a attended an IFJ workshop in Vanuatu and discussed some of the challenges for reporters in the Solomon Islands.
The IFJ said: “Journalists should be protected from intimidation and attempts to disclose their sources. The actions of the Solomon Islands police call into question the press freedom environment in the country and violates fundamental journalist rights.”