Vanuatu leader of the Opposition Ishmael Kalsakau is preparing to lodge a police complaint concerning the alleged improper issuance of diplomatic passports to Han Hans YQ, who holds the position of Special Envoy of Vanuatu on Trade and Investment in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.
The complaint relates to the alleged appointment of Han by a former Foreign Affairs Minister on 18 January 2023.
The Opposition Leader stated that this decision appears to contravene the Vanuatu Constitution and the Diplomatic Services Act, which outline the legal status and entitlements of such positions, including provisions relating to diplomatic passports.
“It has come to my attention that certain leaders within the government, acting in their capacity as State Ministers, have knowingly and willfully disregarded the due diligence process, thereby committing the alleged issuance of diplomatic passports and abusing their powers. Such actions not only undermine the authority of our regulatory system but also violate the principles of justice and fairness enshrined in the Constitution,” the Opposition Leader stated.
Kalsakau is calling on police to launch a comprehensive investigation into the actions of the State Ministers involved.
He stated that these individuals must be held accountable and brought before the court to face the consequences of their illegal and unethical conduct.
He said a full investigation is necessary to ensure that the rule of law is upheld and that any abuse of power is promptly addressed to prevent further damage to the credibility of national institutions.
“The illegal distribution of diplomatic passports undermines not only the rule of law but also the credibility of our nation’s international diplomacy,” Kalsakau said.
The Opposition Leader has written to Prime Minister Jotham Napat, notifying his office of the matter concerning the diplomatic passport currently under scrutiny.
In the same letter, Kalsakau alleged that Han used three false identities to obtain a Certificate of Honorary Citizenship, which was then used as the basis to acquire a diplomatic passport.
Kalsakau said this fraudulent activity led to Han’s arrest and ongoing detention at the Shanghai Detention Centre in China, where he is being held in connection with criminal investigations.
Vanuatu Daily Post contacted the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), which confirmed it is aware of the letter notifying the PM of the Opposition’s impending police complaint.
The registration and handover of the official police complaint was scheduled to take place yesterday in the Opposition conference room at Parliament but was postponed.
Acting Police Commissioner Willie Samuel and Commander South Jackson Noal were seen at the National Parliament premises at Tuesday to receive the Opposition’s complaint.
Last week, police stated that no formal complaint had been received concerning the allegations of diplomatic passport sales.
The handover and registration of the complaint will allow the police to begin an official investigation into the matter.
The complaint is expected to prompt an inquiry into the involvement of civil servants and politicians allegedly linked to the suspected illegal sale of diplomatic passports.
The number of suspects and passports involved is yet to be determined by police during their investigations. However, a reliable source claimed the number of diplomatic passports allegedly sold is high.
The same source alleged that one of the suspects managed to sell over 60 diplomatic passports.
An internal investigation conducted by the Office of the Opposition reportedly found that the average cost of a diplomatic passport was estimated at VT25 million(US$203,842).
There are allegations that none of the funds collected through the alleged sales were channelled through the government treasury under the Department of Finance.
