Vanuatu Opposition files more criminal complaints
Vanuatu’s Opposition bloc has filed two further criminal complaints with the Police against Finance Minister, Gaetan Pikioune and TAFEA Outer Islands MP, Tomker Netvunei. Opposition whip MP Jay Ngwele told the Daily Post that the additional criminal complaints were filed on Friday last week, a week after the first complaint against Prime Minister Charlot Salwai.
He said the complaints against Minister Pikioune are on the grounds of complicity and conspiracy contrary to the provisions of the Penal Code.
The Opposition Whip alleged that on several occasions Minister Pikioune conspired with the Prime Minister to finance and pay former Parliamentary Secretary (PS) positions salaries on times of their appointments when Parliament was to debate motions of noconfidence against the PM.
He claimed there was no budget for such positions but the positions were merely used to lure political support for such positions at those times when Parliament was on notice to debate the motion.
Mr Ngwele said the criminal complaint against Tomker is based on the grounds of bribery when he allegedly accepted an inducement from the government to become the Parliamentary Secretary (PS) to the Ministry of Agriculture.
He said MP Netvunei was appointed PS on November 23, 2016, at the time he had signed a motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister but immediately withdrew his support when he was appointed PS by Prime Minister Charlot Salwai.