Transcript
On Monday last week, the newly-appointed Public Service Commissioner in Vanuatu visited the homes of three people accusing her of corruption and summoned them to the police station.
Murielle Meltenoven, who took up her position earlier this month, then filed a criminal complaint against the people, who claim her appointment was unlawfully influenced.
One of her accusers is Dr Andrina Thomas from Vanuatu group Women Against Crime and Corruption.
Dr Thomas says a panel of seven people including Ms Meltenoven interviewed her and two colleagues at a Port Vila police station on Monday.
"This is abuse of power, it's not her role to be rounding up people. It's the police's role once a criminal case is lodged for the police to actually summon people down to hear the statements."
On Friday morning, Dr Thomas and her colleagues, Antoine Malsungai and Joseph Alick, were again called to the police station for a bail hearing.
The trio allege Ms Meltenoven's appointment was unfair because she was part of a panel last year interviewing people for the same position.
Last week, Ms Meltenoven told the Vanuatu Daily Post her office wouldn't tolerate corruption.
Anonymous Facebook users have also alleged Ms Meltenoven was having an affair with the chair of the Public Service Commission, Martin Mahe.
Along with Mr Mahe and their spouses, she filed criminal defamation and unlawful discrimination charges against at least five people on Monday.
Mr Mahe, who rejects the corruption allegations, says his accusers should have made a formal complaint with the authorities and not on social media.
"But instead of doing that, they are going to the Facebook and belittle my reputation, tarnish my reputation, my family. And the same goes to the Commissioner of Labour."
Dr Thomas alleges Mr Mahe is also suspending people from the Public Service Commission who are connected to Women Against Crime and Corruption.
"We couldn't actually remain quiet, we had to say look there's anomalies in the recruitment process in the PSC."
Mr Mahe denies anyone is being suspended for their connection to the group.
But on Friday, Dr Thomas lodged a police complaint alleging unfair recruitment processes in the Public Service Commission.
She says Women Against Crime and Corruption also filed a separate complaint alleging Mr Mahe ordered officials to hack into their Facebook chat groups.
Mr Mahe denies this, saying he was provided internal chats from members of the groups.
