A former Vanuatu prime minister, Sato Kilman has told the trial of one of his successors that he set up the posts of parliamentary secretaries in 2013.
Former Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman, leaving the Supreme Court Photo: RNZ Pacific/Hilaire Bule
Charlot Salwai is facing trial on perjury, bribery and corruption charges after being accused of misinforming the country that he had government support to appoint parliamentary secretaries in 2016.
The then opposition leader and now deputy prime minister, Ishmael Kalsakau, had brought the complaint that led to the charges.
He was aggrieved that, in 2016, Salwai managed to avoid a no confidence vote by appointing the parliamentary secretaries.
Kilman told the court today that if a prime minister wanted to creat a post he must follow the process and that was what he had done in 2013.
He informed the Attorney General and then took the decision to his Council of Ministers for the approval.
Kilman told the court that that decision by the Council of Ministers has never been revoked.
Last year the Court of Appeal ruled that the positions of parliamentary secretaries are unconstitutional.
The trial will continue next week.