Opposition Leader demands explanation on Vt500m outstanding

Vanuatu’s leader of Opposition Ishmael Kalsakau has revealed he is on the trail to shed light on an alleged VT500 million (FJ$9.4m) outstanding owed to the Government by Minister of Infrastructure and Public Works Christophe Emelee.

In an exclusive interview with Daily Post, Mr Kalsakau said there were a number of allegations against the Minister of MIPU and he believed some of these allegations were behind the Minister’s decision to switch to the Government side in 2017.

The Opposition leader is demanding Minister of Agriculture Livestock Fisheries, Forestry and Biosecurity Matai Seremaiah to disclose and explain every detail on the Vt500 million (FJ$9.4m) worth of licensing fees that Emelee is still owing to the Government.

One of the reasons, according to Mr Kalsakau, which allegedly pushed Mr Emelee to move to the Government, was because the Government wanted to cancel the Shipping Registry contract.

Confirming that he is also carrying out his own investigations on Mr Emelee, the Opposition leader also questioned how the MIPU Minister got to acquire the Government wharf, when the Police informed the government that the area is the strategic location of RVS Tukoro and no other vessel should be based there.

“I heard stories about that particular location and I am investigating it. And if the stories were proven to be true, then it would appear that Emelee had used unlawful means to acquire that location,” he said.

Mr Kalsakau said Mr Emelee may have the land title, but he will dig into the process of how the minister had acquired the land.

The Opposition leader alleged that Mr Emelee moved from the Opposition to the Government only after he became aware that the Council of Ministers had made an agreement to prosecute him over his outstanding money owed to the government.

There are also allegations that he has a huge outstanding with Air Vanuatu. “He would be lucky if this allegation were not true. “

But if evidence proved otherwise, the minister has to refund the state and be held accountable for his decisions and actions.

”I believe Mr Emelee is a lawbreaker. But I will have to prove it.”

Mr Kalsakau said he welcomed Mr Emelee’s decision to lodge a criminal complaint against him and asked the minister to make it fast.

“I am asking him to lodge his complaint on Monday and not delay it.”

He added further: “I believe the Minister is doing this as a retaliation on what the Opposition has been doing.

“Mr Emelee is jumping up and down not because of the Prime Minister or the ministers, but he is worried that I would dig him out and shed light on the alleged corrupt practices that he has engaged himself in,” he said. “Criminal complaints surrounding the bribery against Mr Emelee is just the tip of the iceberg for him. We are only doing our job as the Opposition.”

The Leader of Opposition also told Daily Post that his resignation in 2012 has followed due process according to the law.