6 May 2010

Vanuatu watchdog says inquiry into police must focus on rule of law

2:10 pm on 6 May 2010

Transparency International Vanuatu says it will continue to raise issues if police fail to follow the rule of law.

For weeks TI has been demanding action over a Coroner's Report which pointed to major failings within the police, but so far nothing has been done.

The Government's promising a commission of inquiry but TI's president, Marie Noelle Ferrieux Patterson, says it's important this doesn't retread the ground already thoroughly covered by the Coroner.

The Internal Affairs Minister, Moana Carcasses Kalosil, says the Government answers to the people, not TI.

But Ms Ferrieux Patterson says it needs to focus on the killing of a prisoner, the disappearance of another and other signs some police ignore the rule of law.

"Nothing has been done against the senior officer of the police that threatened to kill the judge in the middle of the proceedings. And I think that is probably where the core of the problem is, is the non-respect of the rule of law by the force, and I think that is why we still will push and request and demand. We are not asking for us, we are not asking for anybody, we want the rule of law of this country to be implemented."