Vanuatu court jails 14 politicians for corruption

The Supreme Court in Vanuatu has sentenced 14 politicians to prison on charges of corruption.

The members of parliament were convicted of bribery on 9 October, when President Baldwin Lonsdale was abroad.

In his absence, Parliamentary Speaker Marcellino Pipite used his powers as acting president to pardon himself and the others.

On his return the president overturned the pardons, and the court has now ruled them unconstitutional.

The original corruption allegations were that Deputy Prime Minister Moana Carcasses paid 13 opposition politicians 35 million vatu ($312,000; £202,000) last year.

Image copyrightReuters

Image captionPrime Minister Sato Kilman's government, only in power since June, is now in a precarious position

Justice Mary Sey, in the capital, Port Vila, said the payments were made to influence the MPs.

Mr Carcasses has been sentenced to four years in prison, and the others for three years each.

Another politician, Willy Jimmy, was given a 20-month suspended sentence. He was the only one to plead guilty at the bribery trial.

The current government has only been in power since June.