6 Feb 2014

Vanuatu opposition labels foreign ministry as 'cowards' over visa probe

1:56 pm on 6 February 2014

An opposition MP in Vanuatu says he doesn't expect the foreign ministry to act on a recent report on the alleged illegal sale of Vanuatu passports to Chinese nationals.

The MP for Port Vila and the former ambassador to China, Willie Jimmy, says the report implicates people in power and the foreign minister, Edward Natapei, is too much of a coward to take action.

Mr Jimmy says since his return from China in 2012, there have been allegations of fraud and the processing of visas from outside the embassy.

He says leaders have a conflict of interest as they employ expatriates and non-citizens, which is in itself unconstitutional.

"I don't have any faith at all in Natapei to take any action on those who are labelled in the report to do illegal activities. I don't trust Mr Natapei, and his director general, Johnny Koanapo. Those people are coward and naive to take any action on those who acted illegally."

The Port Vila MP Willie Jimmy.