AXIOM CONFIRMS BRIBERY ATTEMPTS BY DJOKOVICAxiom refers to the...

AXIOM CONFIRMS BRIBERY ATTEMPTS BY DJOKOVICAxiom refers to the recent news articles by the local and international media that Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare’s nephew and Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister’s Office has solicited payments from the company, including proposing the removal of some of the benefits due to Isabel landowners for his own benefit. Axiom also refers to a statement by Mr Wilson Rano which has a number of factual errors.Around the time when Mr Robson Djokovic became Chief of Staff, he approached Axiom’s Australia-based Chairman and upon their first meeting presented a document signed by Prime Minister Sogavare to confirm that Mr Djokovic was on business for him (Sogavare). Mr Djokovic was promoting his personal services to Axiom to deal with the Government including seeking money for himself.Honiara-based private legal practitioner Wilson Rano and a Fiji-based lawyer recommended that millions of dollars be paid to a company jointly controlled by Mr Rano and Mr Djokovic so that they (Rano and Djokovic) could provide services to Axiom.Mr Rano and Mr Djokovic were the Directors of this company at the time, including from 2015 and also when Mr Djokovic became Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister.Later in meetings in Fiji, with Mr Rano, a Fijian lawyer, Axiom’s Australian barrister and Mr Mount, Mr Rano wanted to provide services to Axiom claiming he would work with Mr Djokovic and also that he would manage all landowner issues because he claimed he is the only person the Isabel landowners will listen to.Axiom refused to further engage any further with these parties because what they have proposed was not to Axiom’s ethical standards and nor did it satisfy Axiom’s legal and probity standards. Axiom also did not want to engage with Mr Djokovic because he was a government official and obviously as a mining company, Axiom could not engage with a convicted criminal.In fact at the very start of the meeting, Axiom’s barrister made it very clear to Mr Rano that Axiom could not engage him (Rano) because due diligence and investigations had revealed problems with Mr Rano’s professional background, including allegations of forgery and his association with a convicted criminal Mr Djokovic. Understandably Mr Rano was upset at being told this.At no time has Mr Rano ever represented Axiom.Despite this farce and the ongoing attempts by Mr Djokovic and the government to deny the San Jorge landowners their benefits and slow Axiom’s progress, the company maintains that it will always abide by the laws and will never deviate from doing what is legally right and importantly for the benefit of the landowners which the company has partnered with.Axiom is determined that it will continue to move towards a sustaibale nickel mining project on San Jorge from which landowners can benefit and moreover is free from environmental disasters and a project that all Solomon Islanders can benefit from and be proud of.Ends///SOURCE: AXIOM PRESS RELEASE