Jimmy Lusibaea

He was returned to Parliament in the 2014 general election as an independent member, and was appointed Minister for Infrastructure Development by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in late October 2015. Thereupon he joined the People's Alliance Party. He was sacked from the government on 4 August 2017, and told he had not done enough to resolve the poor state of roads in the country. He remained a member of the party. Three weeks later, he was ordered by the Leadership Code Commission to pay a fine of SI$12,000 for misconduct in office. He had pleaded guilty to awarding his own company two government contracts, one to carry out road maintenance work and one to sell a side lifter truck to the Solomon Islands Ports Authority. The fine also covered the fact he had initially lied to the Commission, stating that he had no shares in any company.

On 20 January, the Minister for Police, James Tora, reduced Lusibaea's sentence to one month, using his discretion as Minister under section 38 of the Correctional Service Act. Consequently, as it appeared Lusibaea was no longer barred from occupying his seat, he resumed his functions in Parliament. The Opposition announced it would "challenge the matter in court". Rodney Kingmele, President of the Solomon Islands Bar Association, also criticised the decision. Lusibaea's ability to sit in Parliament as a member of the government majority was viewed as crucial at a time when the government was struggling to maintain a viable majority, in the face of defections. It was initially unclear whether Lusibaea was set to resume his post in Cabinet, but a listing of ministers in April 2011 still had the position of Fisheries Minister "vacant".

Sent to prison after RAMSI's arrival, he "found religion on the inside and, on his release, set up a successful business". Having studied heavy plant mechanics at the Afutara Vocational School, he eventually became Managing Director of the Lion Heart Company, before going into politics in 2010.

He began his political career by standing in the North Malaita constituency in the August 2010 general election. He was elected, and appointed Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources in Prime Minister Danny Philip's government. In September, as Fisheries Minister, he warned that the government would crack down on foreign vessels illegally fishing in Solomon Islands waters.

In September 2010, he was charged with "attempted murder with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, assault on a police officer and discharging a firearm in a public place", for crimes allegedly committed in 2001. Specifically, he was accused of inflicting head injuries on police officer Sam Manekeha, and of shooting civilian Robert Solo in both knees, while a commander in the Malaita Eagle Force. In November, he pleaded guilty in court to the charges of assault causing grievous bodily harm and assaulting a police officer, and was remanded in custody to await his sentence.

He became involved in the severe ethnic conflicts on Guadalcanal and Malaita in the early 2000s. He has been described as a "warlord", and was one of the leaders of the Malaita Eagle Force, an armed ethnic militia formed to fight for the interests of Malaitan migrants facing expulsion from Guadalcanal. He surrendered in 2003 when an international peacekeeping force, RAMSI, arrived in the Solomons. He was arrested, accused of several crimes, including having taken part in the attempted murder of bank manager Moses Garu; charges on that count were dropped when "witnesses failed to testify". He was convicted for a robbery committed in 2000, and given a five-year sentence. In 2006, he was "acquitted of the death of two special constables allegedly killed in his yard" in 2002.

Jimmy Lusibaea (born 7 July 1970), also known as Jimmy "Rasta", is a Solomon Islands politician.