The Supreme Court in Vanuatu has sentenced 14 government officials to jail on charges of defilement.
The individuals from parliament were sentenced pay off on 9 October, when President Baldwin Lonsdale was abroad.
In his nonattendance, Parliamentary Speaker Marcellino Pipite utilized his forces as acting president to absolve himself and the others.
On his arrival the president toppled the acquittals, and the court has now led them illegal.
The first defilement claims were that Deputy Prime Minister Moana Carcasses paid 13 restriction lawmakers 35 million vatu ($312,000; £202,000) a year ago.
Equity Mary Sey, in the capital, Port Vila, said the installments were made to impact the MPs.
Mr Carcasses has been sentenced to four years in jail, and the others for a long time each.
Another government official, Willy Jimmy, was given a 20-month suspended sentence. He was the one and only to confess at the pay off trial.
The present government has just been in force since June.
- (BBC)
Post a Comment
Post a Comment