2 Dec 2010

Vanuatu diplomat, charged with selling passports, allowed to leave country

11:05 am on 2 December 2010

The Magistrate Court in Port Vila this week granted Vanuatu's former honory consul to Singapore, Alex Chung, to travel out the country.

Chung, who is charged with trying to sell Vanuatu diplomatic passports, has paid over 5-thousand US dollars to the government for the variation of his bail.

This allows him to return to Singapore where he is facing a civil court case over his alleged illegal importation of fireworks.

For the 31st anniversary of Vanuatu's independence in July this year, Chung is alleged to have ordered two containers of fireworks from his business partners in Singapore and China but never paid them.

Three representatives of Chung's business partners from Singapore were in Port Vila last week to launch complaints to Vanuatu police.

They accused Chung of attempt to sell Vanuatu diplomatic passports to them.

He is to re-appear before the magistrate court on December 17th.