Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Vanuatu’s Police Service Commission to review Bong performance

Posted at 23:11 on 03 October, 2012 UTC

Vanuatu’s Police Service Commission says it’s decided to review the performance of the re-appointed Police Commissioner, Joshua Bong, next Monday.

The Commission is locked in a disagreement with the Minister of Internal Affairs George Wells over who is Police Commissioner.

This follows the arrest of the man who Mr Wells insists is the acting Police Commissioner, Arthur Caulton, as well as two other senior police figures for mutiny-related charges last week.

The Vice chairman of the Police Service Commission, Willie Karie, has defended the Commision’s move to re-appoint Mr Bong in a special meeting on Sunday on the eve of the expiry of his contract.

That was just three days after Mr Bong’s three-month suspension for incompetence ended.

Mr Karie says the Minister has withdrawn his ban on the Commission meeting.

“I think the Minister wants the Commission to reviews its position on the appointment of the current Commissioner and for the acting Commissioner while this Commissioner is to be suspended or terminated. So the current Commissioner will stay in place until we review his performance on Monday.”

Willie Karie says it is not the intention of the Police Service commission to engage in battle with the Minister, so the best way to settle this disagreement is by a review.