14 Mar 2014

Former Vanuatu Govt official jailed in Australia for fraud lands new Govt job

10:45 am on 14 March 2014

A formerly high profile Vanuatu government official has slipped back into the country after serving a jail term in Australia for fraud, and immediately landed a new job in the Vanuatu government.

In 2012 Clarence Marae was a political aide to the then Prime Minister Sato Kilman.

He was arrested by Australian police while passing through Sydney International Airport with Mr Kilman and charged with fraud.

He was convicted of involvement in a four million US dollar tax fraud and jailed for five and a half-years.

He is now being employed as the first political adviser to the Minister for Internal Affairs Paul Telukluk.