MELBOURNE: A Vanuatu cabinet minister accused of involvement in an assault of a newspaper publisher has been charged.
Infrastructure and Public Utilities Minister Harry Iauko will appear in the Magistrates' Court in Port Vila on Thursday, where it will be decided if there is a case to answer over the alleged assault of Daily Post publisher Marc Neil-Jones.
The alleged assault on the publisher by a group of men led by Iauko followed articles printed in the Daily Post about land deals the minister had been involved in when he held the Lands portfolio.
Marc Neil-Jones had been sceptical if charges would be laid, as the Vanuatu government needs the votes of Iauko and his supporters to stay in power.
Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speaker: Marc Neil-Jones, Vanuatu Daily Post publisher; Richard Kaltongga, adviser to Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman
Listen
NEIL-JONES: Hopefully, we've got the first hurdle. The pressure on the government has been building and it hasn't been easy for the government because of the numbers game. The reality is if they sack Iauko the government will fall. So there is an issue of stability, but we've always maintained that justice must prevail, and given the intense overseas interest in this right throughout the region and Asia, the government needs to be seen that they're doing the right job because it's been very rare that any leaders have been prosecuted for any breach of the law in the past. We simply can't have one law for politicians and another for everyone else.
HILL: The Daily Post publisher says the prosecution of the minister may be going ahead at least partly because of intense pressure on the Vanuatu government from overseas.
NEIL-JONES: We've had regional media organisations, we've had PINA, Pasifika, local media organisations and the Media Association of Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands Media Association. We've had Ifex, Reporters Without Borders, IJC, I mean there's a lot that's come in. The pressure has mounted, diplomatic missions I have been told have voiced their concerns privately to the government. But the US, the deputy ambassador came over and issued a very, very strong statement. So that was a strong additional pressure, and now the United Nations Human Rights Commission have contacted me and are keen to take the matter further if nothing happens. So we have made our position clear that the longer this drags on, it's already been four weeks, and whereas I'm not happy it's taken that length of time, it now appears that the police are serious and the government is ensuring that the police do their job and now it remains to be seen how far and how well the Public Prosecutor does on it.
HILL: But the government says all it's doing is allowing the law to take its course without interference. Richard Kaltongga, adviser to Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman, says the government is not putting pressure on anyone.
KALTONGGA: No, none whatsoever from this office from the Prime Minister.
HILL: Has Mr Iauko spoken to the Prime Minister about this, because it's understood that his supporters are quite angry that these charges are being brought against him?
KALTONGGA: I am not aware of any discussions between him and the Prime Minister on this matter. There might have been discussed with the Prime Minister but I'm not aware of this.
HILL: Does the government have any concerns about the political situation? We spoke to you earlier and you said there were some political considerations given the way that the parties were balanced?
KALTONGGA: Of course there will always be some concern. We all of course were always concerned. We will wait to see what the court decides, but from the Prime Minister's point of view the law should be allowed to prevail. So we'll leave it up to the courts to decide.
HILL: Has there been any pressure on the Vanuatu government from outside the country perhaps?
KALTONGGA: Not that I know of. Any inquiries that have come we've simply said we will allow the law to take its course.
HILL: So this basically is a case of the Vanuatu government simply allowing the legal system to proceed without any political interference whatsoever?
KALTONGGA: Yes. The Prime Minister is very much keen to see that the law is allowed to take its course. The law must prevail because the law is what decides the conduct of the nation and it's an important factor, so we must allow the law to prevail and the due process has to be followed. - Radio Australia Pacific Beat/Pacific Media Centre
PFF welcomes rule of law in publisher assault
Pacific Media Watch
