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VANUATU MPs jailed, including former PMs, Indo-Fijian minister Arnold Prasad, for CORRUPTION; FFP determined to always have military man as President to ensure that their own IMMUNITY after 2006 coup intact!

22/10/2015

4 Comments

 

The parliament's speaker, Marcellino Pipite, who led an unsuccessful attempt to pardon himself and the convicted MPs last week, has been sentenced to three years in prison

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The speaker of Vanuatu's parliament Marcellino Pipite (C) is directed to the prison van.
Vanuatu's deputy prime minister Moana Carcasses has been sentenced to four years in prison for bribery and corruption, joining 13 other MPs — or half of the nation's government — in prison. On October 9, Vanuatu's Supreme Court found Carcasses had made illegal payments amounting to 35 million Vatu ($452,000) to his fellow MPs when they were in opposition. Justice Mary Sey ruled that the payments were designed to influence MPs in their capacity as public officials.

Jailed Vanuatu MPs
  • Deputy prime minister Moana Carcasses: 4 years
  • Speaker Marcellino Pipite: 3 years
  • Foreign minister Serge Vohor: 3 years
  • Lands minister Paul Telukluk: 3 years
  • Public works minister Tony Nari: 3.5 years
  • Youth and sports minister Tony Wright: 3 years
  • Climate change minister Thomas Laken: 3 years
  • Sebastien Harry, Jonas James, John Amos, Steven Kalsakau, Silas Yatan, Arnold Prasad, Jean Yvees Chabot: 3 years
  • Finance minister Willie Jimmy: 20 months suspended following guilty plea

The parliament's speaker, Marcellino Pipite, who led an unsuccessful attempt to pardon himself and the convicted MPs last week, has been sentenced to three years in prison. Upon sentencing, Justice Sey said those who "occupy a position of trust or authority can expect to be treated severely by the criminal law".

"Furthermore, where an offence involves a breach of trust, the court regards it as a significant aggravating factor," she said.

The other MPs, including former prime minister Serge Vohor, have also been sentenced to three-years jail. Carcasses, another former prime minister, received his four year sentence on multiple counts, to be served concurrently. As the MPs have been sentenced to two years imprisonment or more, they are not permitted to sit in Vanuatu's parliament. Carcasses' lawyer told local media he will be lodging an appeal against his sentence later today. Finance minister Willie Jimmy, the only MP to plead guilty to the corruption charges, was given a suspended sentence.

Ahead of the sentencing, Justice Sey called bribery a cancer and denounced the politicians' actions. "I remind myself that you are the first in Vanuatu to be prosecuted for this offence in your capacity as members of parliament at the time of the offending," she said.

"You were given power and authority. With power and authority, comes an obligation of trust. You betrayed that trust and in the cause of doing that you undermined the very institution that it was your duty to uphold. For that reason, as I've previously said, a fitting custodial sentence is required that fully reflects the need for denunciation and deterrence."

Pipite sparked a constitutional crisis when he pardoned himself and 13 other MPs of corruption charges while he was acting president. That move triggered another pending court case for 11 of the now-jailed MPs, and three lawyers, for conspiring to defeat the cause of justice.

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4 Comments
Ratu Sai
22/10/2015 09:02:52 am

This what Fiji needs if we are to progress.

Reply
Dekho
22/10/2015 11:31:58 am

The niVanuattu people can hold their heads high because their democracy has demonstrated the preeminence of the rule of law. The jailing of corrupt politicians has sent a clear message that everyone regardless of their status must be treated equally by the laws of the land.and not Animal Farm style.
The people of Fiji can't hold their heads high because in Fiji the law is applied Animal Farm style. It does not apply to coupist Bainimarama and his cronies in the way it is applied to ordinary citizens.

Reply
Chiku
22/10/2015 07:15:47 pm

Anybody surprised that in the line up of corrupt MPs in Vanuatu heading off to sit in jail, a big change from sitting in parliament, is a man of Indo- Fijian extraction?
We have a lot of them in Fiji. Some are still warming the sit as optional extras in dictator Bainimarama's Fiji First Theft Party government.

Reply
Socho
22/10/2015 11:34:14 pm

If murderer minister Pravin Bala Sala was in Vanuatu he'd be sitting in jail as would be other corrupt Indian politicians from Bainimarama's corrupt Fiji First Theft Party

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