Pacific Anti-Corruption Updates (24 June 2016) – Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, PNG, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands

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From the UN Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (UN-PRAC) Project, a joint initiative of the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, with support from the Australian Government. Updates shared by Annika Wythes, Mihaela Stojkoska, Luisa Senibulu, and Samita Singh.
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TUVALU:
Court jails former PM.  For the first time in Tuvalu’s 38 years as an independent nation, a former prime minister currently sitting as an opposition member-of-parliament has been convicted and jailed on corruption and abuse of office charges.
MARSHALL ISLANDS:
Call for accountability over poisoned fish.  A Marshall Islands Senator says there needs to be accountability for the contamination of fish around Kwajalein Atoll that could threaten the major food source of thousands of people.
PNG:
Arrest of PNG fraud squad head called an abuse of power.  Moves by Papua New Guinea's police commissioner Gary Baki to have the fraud squad head Matthew Damaru sidelined are being described as an abuse of power.
Morauta claims political interference in PNG central bank.  A former prime minister of Papua New Guinea claims political interference in the Bank of PNG is threatening the stability of the nation's financial system.
VANUATU:
Ombudsman should be able to prosecute – President.  Vanuatu's Head of State, Baldwin Lonsdale, has asked the parliament to allow the Ombudsman to prosecute cases.
SOLOMON ISLANDS:
Finance & Treasury crackdown on corruption.  The Solomon Islands Ministry of Finance and Treasury says it has brought in new measures to crack down on staff stealing public funds.
Opposition queries MPs shipping grants.  The Parliamentary Opposition Group is calling on the Government to release the names of Members of Parliament (MPs) who are recipients of the 2016 shipping grant.
Panga reveals how ward grant was allegedly abused.  Former Guadalcanal Premier Stephen Panga says he advises the Guadalcanal Provincial Secretary to write to the ANZ bank to put a stop notice to the cheques issued for the ward grants.
New models sought for Pacific fisheries surveillance.  The Forum Fisheries Agency says the system for monitoring and surveillance of the region's fisheries is operating unsustainably and needs to change.
For more information about the UN Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (UN-PRAC) Project, please get in touch with:
Annika Wythes, Anti-Corruption Adviser - Pacific, UNODC, annika.wythes@unodc.org
Mihaela Stojkoska, Anti-Corruption Specialist - Pacific, UNDP, mihaela.stojkoska@undp.org
Luisa Senibulu, Governance Programme Associate, UNDP/UNODC, luisa.senibulu@undp.org
Samita Singh, Programme Assistant - Anti-Corruption, UNDP/UNODC, samita.singh@undp.org

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