Eleven former MPs in Vanuatu are likely to face a retrial on conspiracy charges.
Vanuatu parliament building in the capital Port Vila. Photo: RNZI/ Walter Zweifel
The MPs, most of whom are still serving jail time for bribery, were cleared of their convictions for conspiracy earlier this month.
The conspiracy convictions stem from an incident in October 2015, when the former speaker of parliament used his acting presidential powers to pardon himself and 10 other MPs of bribery convictions.
But two weeks ago, the Court of Appeal overturned the conspiracy convictions.
It said it felt the judge at the time should have tried them as a group of people committing a single offence, not as individuals commiting multiple offences.
However, the ruling did not declare them innocent, and the court said it was up to the public prosecutor to consider whether to lay the charges again for a retrial.
Last night, the public prosecutor's office confirmed it was seeking a retrial, having filed its intentions to the court yesterday morning.