Opposition withdraws congratulatory statement on Air Vanuatu Board termination

The Opposition bloc has withdrawn its congratulatory statement to the government on the termination of the board of Air Vanuatu.

Leader of Opposition, Ralph Regenvanu, who released the statement said: “I have not realized that the government has not gotten rid of the Chairman.

“They have maintained him in his position. With his presence, there is no difference at all. I’m withdrawing my congratulatory statement.”

Regenvanu alleged in the congratulatory statement that Air Vanuatu was a hotbed of corruption and that the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance were well aware of this since they had received a police report early this year confirming numerous allegations of corrupt activities happening within the national airline.

“The termination shows that the Government has finally acted on this report and, as Leader of the Opposition, I wish to congratulate the Prime Minister for finally putting the national and public interest above the interest of the politicians and political parties in his coalition Government,” he said.

Regenvanu said they (the Opposition) has already been aware of the concerns raised by the whistleblower in Air Vanuatu as conveyed by the Daily Post.

“We asked for the police report showing criminal behavior in the airline which was given to the PM early this year but was told the matter is already with the Prosecution.

“The question is, what is the Prosecution doing with this file?

“These issues raised by the whistleblower would be one of the main agendas of the Public Account Committee if it has a chance to meet, after the PAC’s legality issues are sorted out.

“According to information we’ve received, there’s a clear attempt to suffocate the airline by making business out of it,” he alleged.

Following the board members termination, the Directors General (DGs) of the shareholder ministries are now taking over roles and functions for a year.

These DGs are: Gregoire Nimbtik of the Prime Minister’s Office, August Letlet (Ministry of Finance and Economic Management), Roy Mickey Joy (Ministry of Tourism) and Johnson Binaru (Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities).

In a recent interview with Buzz 96FM Nightly News, DG Letlet said that the new board is now implementing resolutions approved by the Council of Ministers (COM) to return the airline to sustainability.