Crowds gather to witness the convicted MP's inside the escorted Police Vehicle in front of the Correctional facility that they will serve their jail term Photo: SUPPLIED / Transparency International Vanuatu
Vanuatu Police have seized hard drives from the ministry of public uitilities as part of the investigation of allegations that 11 jailed MPs had abused presidential powers by pardoning themselves of bribery convictions.
The pardons, signed off by one of the convicted MPs and then acting president Marcellino Pipite, were effective for about a week before the rightful president, Baldwin Lonsdale, returned from overseas and revoked them.
Police investigators have charged the MPs and their three lawyers with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice with a preliminary hearing set for this Friday. (13-11-2015)
In all fourteen MPs were jailed on the bribery convictions but they retain their seats, pending the outcome of appeals also being heard later this week in Port Vila.