conspiracy case

According to the Daily Post, the defence counsel Edward Nalyal said the case was supposed to be heard last week but then through conference, the trial was moved.

The case is related to a decision by Mr Natuman during his term as the Prime Minister in an alleged attempt at sorting out an existing rift affecting the Vanuatu Police Force.

Mr Justice Chetwynd declared their convictions in a half-an-hour verbal judgement late yesterday afternoon. He made the ruling after going through the final submissions of the prosecution and defence counsels.

The judge stated that the defendants in the case, Marcelino Pipite, Tony Nari, Jean-Yve Chapod, Jonas James, John Amos, Arnold Prasad, Paul Telukluk, Silas Yatan, Antony Wright, Thomas Laken, Pascal Iauko and lawyer, Wilson Iauma, were in agreement with each other to defeat the course of justice.

RNZ reports the former MPs were among the 14 sentenced to 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, in his role as acting president.

The first prosecution' witness to appear was lawyer, Eric Molbaleh, who is alleged to have drafted the legal instrument that Mr Pepite relied on.

The Prosecution said there were five lawyers suspected of involvement in the conspiracy case, but they had now become state witnesses.

11 of the 14 MPs sent to jail late last year for corruption and bribery, along with three lawyers, had also been charged with conspiracy to defeat the course of justice.

The charges followed the pardoning of the MPs on the bribery convictions, by the speaker of parliament, Marcelino Pepite, in his role as acting president.

Pepite is one of those convicted and jailed for bribery.

The trial is now set to begin on 1 August because defending lawyers were not ready for today's hearing.

The new date was set during a pre-trial hearing this morning.

Prosecution says over 20 witnesses will testify against the duo while the defense counsel saw it unnecessary to have too many witnesses. They affirm their confidence by saying they needed only three days for the trial. 

In this case, the burden of the prosecution is to attempt to provide all necessary evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Natuman did conspire to defeat the course of justice when he instructed Mr Maralau through a letter to suspend investigations into the police munity case.

RNZI reports last month, the chief magistrate sought the Supreme Court's view on the merit of the conspiracy claim.

Mr Natuman is facing charges of conspiracy to defeat the course of justice when he was prime minister and minister for police.

The decision is pending an opinion sought from the Supreme Court on whether Mr Natuman’s intention was actually in good faith when he wrote a letter to cease investigations into the police munity case.

Yesterday’s hearing was a closed hearing between the Chief Magistrate, Felix Stevens, the prosecution, the two defense councils and the two defendants, Mr Natuman and former deputy police commissioner, Aru Maralau.

RNZI reports Mr Natuman was facing charges of conspiracy to defeat the course of justice when he, in his role as prime minister and minister for police, suspended investigations into mutiny allegations involving senior police officers.

Mr Natuman was prime minister between 2014 and 2015.

Mr Natuman is facing charges of conspiracy to defeat the course of justice when he was acting in his capacity as prime minister and minister for police to suspend investigations into the mutiny case involving rival senior high ranking police officers.

The then acting police commissioner, Aru Maralau, who was acting on instruction from his minister, is also facing the same charges.

The charges stem from an incident in November when Marcellino Pipite, in his then-capacity as acting president, pardoned himself and 13 other MPs a day after they were convicted of corruption.

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.