12 Aug 2016

Vanuatu conspiracy verdict due next week

1:00 pm on 12 August 2016

Vanuatu's Supreme Court is due to hand down its ruling on Tuesday in the case of nine former members of parliament accused of conspiracy.

The Vanuatu Supreme Court building in Port Vila.

The Vanuatu Supreme Court building in Port Vila. Photo: RNZI / Jamie Tahana

The former MPs were among the 14 sentenced to three years in prison last year on corruption and bribery charges.

The charges came after the MPs were pardoned of the offences by the speaker of parliament, Marcelino Pepite, who at the time was the acting president.

The president, Baldwin Lonsdale, overturned the pardons on his return to the country, and the Supreme Court later threw out the MPs' bid to have that decision dismissed.

Under the Vanuatu's law, the penalty for conspiracy is seven years in prison.

Get the RNZ app

for ad-free news and current affairs