Vanuatu passport law change 'legalised corruption'

AMENDMENTS to the Passport Act will allow corrupt politicians to sell passports for personal gain, says former Cabinet Minister Joe Natuman.

Parliament has amended the Passport Act to allow non ni-Vanuatu diplomats to qualify for diplomatic passports.

As Foreign Affairs Minister last year, Mr Natuman ordered the sacking of more than 200 diplomats who were not Vanuatu citizens.

He said some were criminals who had damaged Vanuatu’s reputation.

Mr Natuman said the government’s actions amounted to 'legalised corruption.'

“Because government ministers would sell passports to any foreigners for money, to make some money for their campaigns for the coming elections,'' he said.

“That is basically what will happen. It’s a form of legalised corruption.”

Last year Mr Natuman spearheaded a government audit inquiry into allegedly fraudulent activity at the embassy in Beijing.It uncovered gross mismanagement and corruption, including questions over the issuance of passports.

That audit inquiry has not yet been completed.

"We have been trying to maintain the reputation of Vanuatu in international organisations with last year's amendment but now the current government is encouraging corruption again by selling the identity of Vanuatu,” said Mr Natuman.

A reliable Opposition source told The Independent that relevant authorities were recently asked to issue several diplomatic passports to several special envoys and people who will be soon travelling out from the country 'for personal reasons'.

No one from the Passport office could be reached on Friday for comment.

Opposition MPs also said under the country's constitution, Parliament can only pass the bill if it in the public interest.

They said the  amendment of the Passport Act in order to allow government to grant diplomatic passports to its foreign diplomats such as ambassadors, consuls, honorary consuls and trade commissioners was not in the public interest.

Between 2009 – 2010, The Independent broke the news over the mass selling of Vanuatu's diplomatic passports by Asians in China, who charged VT 1 million for a diplomatic passport and VT 500,000 for an ordinary green Vanuatu's Passport.

The Independent jounalists were then threatened for their investigations and findings over the sale of Vanuatu's passports.

According to The Independent sources from Asia, Vanuatu's passports were sold on the streets. The sources said those involved had no intention to come to Vanuatu.

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