[Peetwo]

Karma comes back to visit Herr McComic -

Although the following Island Sun article has one glaringly obvious factual error - Nine people lost their lives in the crash. - it is fascinating how Karma may come home to roost on McComic's future career aspirations...  

SOLOMON AIRLINES HAS A NEW CEO
By Alfred Sasako | June 9, 2016

SOLOMON AIRLINES has a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), but John McCormick’s appointment could be short-lived.

It is believed the Board of Solomon Airlines decided on the appointment on 01 June (Wednesday last week). It subsequently recommended the appointment to the Minister of Finance and Treasury, Hon Snyder Rini, who has reportedly endorsed the appointment.

It is understood Mr McCormick has been offered a contract. Mr McCormick was Australia’s Civil Aviation and Safety Authority’s (CASA) Director of Aviation Safety.

But the appointment could be short-lived because of Mr McCormick’s past.

According to published report, McCormick withheld crucial information about the crash of a Pel-Air plane near Norfolk Island. Nine people lost their lives in the crash.

In a Senate Committee investigation, “far more serious issues were raised about McCormick’s conduct and actions in withholding from the Australian Transport and Safety Board (ATSB) a document of material importance when it was making its supposedly independent inquiry in the Pel-Air crash near Norfolk Island in 2009.”

But the Senate Committee subsequently discovered the document under its own investigations. The crucial document “suppressed by CASA … was a review of its actions in relation to the Pel-Air crash that was ordered by McCormick.”

“In that ‘Chambers review’ CASA’s incompetence and lack of oversight in relation to Pel-Air was exposed, yet hidden from the notice of the Australian Transport and Safety Board (ATSB) contrary to the provisions of the Transport Safety Investigations Act, raising the question, as yet unanswered, as to whether McCormick had committed an offence under the Act.

“In testimony before the Senate Committee when he was confronted with the document, McCormick both admits and apologises for his action,” the report said.

McCormick reportedly resigned as a result of his role in the botched investigation.

“The Chambers review document makes the point that had CASA done its job properly the Pel-Air crash might never have occurred. The suppression of that document, and the shabby quality of the ATSB report into the crash, has raised doubts as to the integrity and professionalism and direction of the ATSB, with the Senate Committee detailing what they considered the unsatisfactory testimony given to it by the ATSB chief commissioner Martin Dolan,” the report said.

It is understood that the Board may have ignored advice it was given on the process of appointing a new CEO. It is also understood that the Civil Aviation Authority of Solomon Islands has written to the Board, opposing McCormick’s appointment because of his past.

When contacted last night, incumbent CEO Ron Sumsum said the appointment of a new CEO for the Airlines is a matter for the Board.

“I have made it clear to the Board as far back as last year that I am leaving anyway. Who the Board appoints is its business but I would like to see that Solomon Airlines is left in a clean hand when I leave,” Capt. Sumsum said.

Meanwhile Solomon Airlines has lifted the stand down of its operations. Its first international flight to Brisbane left last night.
 

Hmm...no comment -

MTF...P2