Pacific

Air Vanuatu expert warns of political interference

14:15 pm on 8 August 2011

Air Vanuatu's expert safety advisor has spoken out against political interference in the company, saying it is ruining the airline.

The Minister of Public Utilities, Harry Iauko, has set up a commission of inquiry into the airline, after the board fired the CEO, Joseph Laloyer.

The safety advisor, Bert Milne, says he believes the commission is a deliberate act to allow Mr Iauko to bring in his political cronies to run the company.

Mr Milne says when he investigated and found no reason for a commission

Mr Milne says immediately after Peter Forgarty's appointment as the airline's acting CEO, Mr Forgarty wrote him a threatening letter ordering him to leave the country on the next plane.