Joe Natuman

The deputy prime minister and tourism minister Joe Natuman is visiting China and told his hosts cruise tourism is the biggest development industry in the South Pacific.

The Vanuatu Daily Post reports Mr Natuman said Vanuatu is gearing up to benefit from the industry with the completion next year of the Lapetasi international wharf in Port Vila.

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.

Mr Natuman and Mr Maralau are facing charges of conspiracy to defeat the course of justice,

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.

The lawyer for both men, Edward Nalial, was told yesterday that police investigators have only this week submitted documents regarding the case to the public prosecutor.

Mr Maralau told media outside court that so far he has not been summoned to appear in court.

The island sustained a direct hit from the category five storm in March last year, and most of its trees, crops and built infrastructure was completely destroyed.

Joe Natuman, who was ousted as prime minister by Sato Kilman in the middle of last year, said the fallout from the conviction of 15 government MPs and the subsequent political stalemate and snap election have all distracted from the recovery.

Kot kes ya hemi blong faenerm aot sapos ikat wan kes blong tufala ya I ansa long hem long kot or no. Mo sapos Magistret Kot I faenerm se ikat wan kes blong ansarem, ale bae I sendem kes ya igo bifo long suprim kot blong I harem. Be sapos I faenem se ino kat inaf strong pruv blong sapotem jaj ya bae I sakem aot nomo long level blong hem.

Ikat sam nara polis ofisa tu istap fesem semak jaj ya we ikam folem wan ivent blong 2014 finis taem Joe Natuman hemi praem minister. Ol polis ofisa ya oli memba blong investigating tim we I putum ol gavman memba long kalabus from corruption.

On Tuesday, the Magistrate court refused to grant the application of the Prosecutors Office to arrest Mr Natuman and Mr Maralau

It found an attempt to obtain the arrest warrants were baseless and that the prosecution and police investigators had not satisfied the court about the urgency and reasons why an arrest warrant should be issued.

Mr Natuman described the attempted move as a “political witch-hunt” saying it appears to be highly politically motivated and aims to try and tarnish their reputation and disturb current negotiations to form a new government.

The caretaker government had tasked as police team to arrest  Natuman and the leader of Graon mo Jastis Pati, Ralph Regenvanu.

Speculation of the failed attempt was rife prior to the opening of the election campaign period and resurfaced this week on the eve of negotiations to form a new government.

Joe Natuman, a former prime minister and leader of the Vanua'aku party, says he has seen caretaker ministers using government vehicles for their campaigning.

Vanuatu will hold a snap election on January the 22nd after parliament was dissolved following the jailing of half the government of Prime Minister Sato Kilman.