19 Jun 2015

Strict bail conditions for Nauru opposition MP

2:06 pm on 19 June 2015

A suspended Nauru MP and former justice minister, Mathew Batsiua, who was arrested earlier in the week, was given bail yesterday with strict conditions, meaning he will be back in custody if he does anything to offend the government.

Mr Batsiua was arrested on Tuesday during a protest outside Parliament over the continued suspension of him and four other Opposition MPs.

He is due to appear in court again on July the 8th, charged with disrupting Parliament.

Mr Batsiua is one of five MPs suspended from Parliaiment for more than a year.

The Government has claimed he disrupted the institution during protests earlier this week.

The MP was held in custody for two nights and charged on Thursday before being released on what he says are extensive bail conditions.

"I have had to surrender my passport to prevent travel out of the country. I have to stay within my residence from the hours of 6pm to 6am. I can't communicate with the other MPs who were involved in the protest. Those kinds of things. I also have to report to police one a week, every Friday."

Meanwhile, another of the five suspended MPs, Roland Kun, had his passport confiscated on Wednesday and he was also refused a renewal of his passport.

Mr Kun spends most of his time in Wellington in New Zealand because his Australian-born wife has been denied a Nauru visa.

No explanation has been given.

International journalists are effectively banned from Nauru after the imposition of $US7,000 non-refundable visa application fee.

Mathew Batsiua being escorted into court

Mathew Batsiua being escorted into court Photo: SUPPLIED

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