Transtions

Trained: 12 people from Fiji and Papua New Guinea who completed a nine week inten sive television course at Austra lian Film TV and Radio School on 9th February.

PBL Pacific Television had contracted AFTRS to provide the course in preparation for the 1987 opening of stations in Port Moresby and Suva.

The two crews received train ing in all aspects of studio, outside broadcast and Betacam production.

Mr Gerry Thorley, who is heading the PNG operation, said most of the six PNG trainees had basic experience but needed a catalyst to bring their skills up to broadcast stan dard.

Resigned: the Deputy Director of the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Co-operation, (SPEC) Mr Trevor Sofield, has resigned. Mr Sofield said he was resigning after only two years of a three-year contract because of a dispute with the Australian Foreign Affairs De partment about payment of his children’s school fees in Austra lia. He said the Department had declined a request to give him a special allowance to cover the school fees because his SPEC salary was not high enough to cover them. AAP says Mr

Sofield’s future with the depart ment is uncertain.

Holidaying: after three years of vigorous and caring ministry on Norfolk Island, the Rev Brian Black and his wife, Joy, are taking a well earned holiday in New Zealand before returning to Sydney to resume ministry on the mainland.

Appointed: Mrs Louise Abia Aitsi, from Papua New Guinea, joined the Pacific Women’s Re source Bureau early in Febru ary as Women’s Programmes Development Officer (English).

The Bureau was set up at SPC headquarters in June 1982 at the instigation of the Seminar of South Pacific Women, held in Tahiti in July 1981, to co-ordinate projects concerning women in the Paci fic region. Mrs Aitsi’s French counterpart in the Bureau is Mme Marie-Claire Beccalossi who is from New Caledonia.

Sentenced: The former Gen eral Manager of Papua New Guinea’s motor vehicle insur ance trust, Mr Rei Hamoka has been sentenced to five years jail after being convicted for embezzling more than 200thousand dollars.

Mr Justice Barrett sentenced the second in charge of the insurance trust, Mr Willy Somoi to two years jail. But a third man convicted in the case, a junior clerk, John Forever will not be sent to jail. The Judge suspended his sentence so that he could play soccer in Austra lia. The court was told Forev er’s foster brother Manis Lamond already plays soccer with the Croatia club in Syd ney, and Forover has a contract to play with the Croatia club in Canberra.

Credentials Presented: Netherlands’ new Ambassador to Solomon Islands Mr Joris M.

Vos has presented his letters of credence to the Governor-Gen eral Sir Baddeley Devesi.

Mr Vos presented his letters of credence from Queen Beat rix of the Netherlands in a short ceremony held at Government House on April 6th.

In his speech to welcome Ambassador Vos, the Gov

emor-General said Solomon Is lands shares with the Nether lands its aspirations for the pursuit of world peace and stability and also attached great importance to the same noble ideas enshrined in the charter of the United Nations.