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Cabinet has approved the appointment of Cook Islands lawyer, Tingika Elikana as Solicitor General.
Elikana, who has been a senior counsel with Crown Law since 1998, has been Acting Solicitor General since January this year. He has been deputy Solicitor General since 2007.
In announcing Elikana’s appointment, Attorney General Sir Terepai Maoate says an independent selection Committee was set up to review all applications. The Committee was comprised of Chairman Public Service Commissioner Navy Epati, Director of Audit Paul Allsworth and Financial Secretary Sholan Ivaiti.
The post of Solicitor General was advertised for a number of months.
A total of five applications were received by the Committee.
Mr Elikana was one of two applicants shortlisted for the position of Solicitor General. The other shortlisted candidate is Judge Gerard Winter.
It was commented by the Committee that both candidates are capable of doing the job. In light of the government policy of employing Cook Islands people who are capable and have potential to senior positions within government, Cabinet selected Elikana.
It was further commented that Mr Elikana has a lot of strengths and local knowledge of the work environment and is ready to assume the challenges of the position of solicitor general. Cabinet noted that Elikana has performed very capably as acting solicitor general for the past six months.
Elikana graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Victoria University of Wellington in 1994. He has a postgraduate diploma in Public Sector Management from Massey University in New Zealand and is now completing a Marsters in Business Administration.
The new Solicitor General began his career as a policeman in 1981 before leaving to complete a law degree on a government scholarship.
“I am very humbled by the appointment and would like to thank the government of the Cook Islands, particularly the Attorney General for having the confidence in me to be the next Solicitor General of the Cook Islands.”
Elikana added: “I would also like to thank my families, especially my wife for her unrelenting support over the years, above all this I thank God for the knowledge and understanding that he had given me.”
Meanwhile a busy year lies ahead for Crown Law. The office has taken on special counsel Kim Hastie who will be part of the team to prosecute high profile cases. Elikana says that team will be headed by Mike Rufin, a New Zealand Crown prosecutor from the firm of Meredith Connell, assisted by Hastie and Martha Henry from Crown Law Cook Islands.
Source: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister |
