Vanuatu sale of passports scandal – on Radio Australia

This causes me to wonder what plans Manuel Mallia, Edward Zammit Lewis and the Prime Minister might have for the sale of Maltese diplomatic passports at a comfy premium. We haven’t heard any mention of that.

———

RADIO AUSTRALIA (link to text and audio below):

Opposition calls for Vanuatu PM to resign amid passport fraud allegations
Updated 30 October 2013, 21:45 AEST

Vanuatu’s opposition has called for the prime minister to resign in the wake of allegations that the government has been selling diplomatic passports.

The move comes amid claims Prime Minister Moana Carcasses Kalosil has been implicated in the sale of diplomatic passports in exchange for favourable treatment.

Jeff Batunvanu, the private secretary of Vanuatu’s opposition leader, Ham Lini, has told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat Mr Lini has requested the prime minister to resign.

“The prime minister could resign and it would be helpful for the country,” Mr Batunvanu said.

The opposition has alleged Foreign Minister Edward Natapei and the director-general of foreign affairs, Johnny Koanapu, have sold Vanuatu diplomatic passports, with the prime minister’s knowledge, at an asking price of up to $US69,000.

The opposition also claims it has obtained correspondence between the Vanuatu ambassador in the European Union and buyers with details of amounts paid and dates of the transactions.

Mr Natapei has released his own statement, saying he has never formally instructed any official to strike a deal for passports.

The foreign minister says he is unaware of email communications between the EU embassy and individuals on the issue of monies, which may been paid.

Early this year the Vanuatu government changed hands when Sato Kilman was removed from office in a no-confidence motion, after allegations that it was selling diplomatic passports.

Mr Natapei has been conducting a review of the country’s affairs since coming to office.

The reviews are ongoing and the opposition says what it alleges is the same issue being investigated.

“People just assume the smoke of it, but they haven’t seen the real fire itself” Jeff Batunvanu said.

“I think to have…the police to fully investigate with the help of the government, then… we could see a clear picture in this issue.”

Mr Batunvanu says it has provided the correspondence to police, but the opposition is not sharing it with anybody else.

“We would rather give this to the police to reinvestigate it,” he said.