Improper Issue of Diplomatic and Official Passports [1998] VUOM 8

Vanuatu Ombudsman public report (13 Mar 1998, reissued 18 Mar 1998) on the improper issue since 1993 of diplomatic and official passports to foreign nationals given sham posts as honorary consuls, trade commissioners and advisers: summary counts (about 30 diplomatic and 40 official passports; 70 in all, 64 without an acceptance letter; 3 missing; appointees by country of posting and by appointing minister), Tables 1-2 listing each passport and holder, the law (Cap 179: no fee for these passports; five-year validity), the evidence of payments to ministers (a US$5,000 bank deposit, US$60,000 in cash, US$30,000 in election contributions, a US$15,000 cheque, and Prime Minister Korman's fax requesting US$5,000-10,000 contributions from appointees), the replies, findings and recommendations. Earlier passes recorded 5 counts and 2 events. This pass added 27 numbers: 14 alleged, requested or promised payments to ministers (irregular_payments_alleged; payers, who are private individuals, are not named), 2 missing-passport counts and 11 appointee counts (new indicator improper_passport_appointments); 3 rules (no fee for diplomatic/official passports, their five-year validity, and the 10-year ordinary naturalisation residence as a context row); 2 events (enquiry began September 1997; minister took over issuing in November 1997). Deliberately not recorded: the per-passport rows of Tables 1-2, because each row identifies a private individual (name, passport number, nationality); no figure there is in scope apart from the counts the report summarises.