Local News Santo News Letters Regional /Inter News Classifed/Real Estate ADS Sports Former Minister reacts to ban on investment application Page 3 Vanuatu seeks mutual learning on development challenges Page 2 Vanuatu Paralympics Athletes to take part in the Arafura Games Page 15 SHEFA pictorial page Page 6 I have been saved from going to hell: boy suicide bomber Page 9 Page 5 Air VAnuAtu hAs grAVe concerns or the impartiality o the Commission o Inquiry to investigate aircrat opera- tions on 21 February 2011, a statement rom the airline stated. The airline has sought legal clarication o the terms o reerence, specically the appointment o committee members, the time period o the Commission and the opportunity or Air Vanuatu to have a air and legal hear- ing. “ As the nat ional carrier, Air Vanuatu has a responsibility to its shareholders, sta and passengers to ensure its oper- ation meets the highest sae- ty standards. “Any allegation that responsibility has not been met is strongly reuted by the airline. “Air Vanuatu has speci- ic concerns regarding the appointment o Commission members who may have a confict o interest. “Two ormer employees o Air Vanuatu have been appointed to the Commis- sion. Their personal rela- tionships with current and ormer sta targeted in the inquiry may unintentionally infuence the outcome o the Commission. “Similarly, another mem- ber o the Commission was involved with the industri- al action taken against Air Vanuatu in 2005. This expe- rience may also unintention- ally infuence the outcome o the Commission. “Air Vanuatu has speci- ic concerns regarding the time period o the commis- sion and the opportunity or Air V anuatu to have a a ir an d legal hearing. “ Air Vanuatu received or- mal advice o the Commission o Inquiry by a hand deliv- ered letter rom the Minis- ter or Justice on Tuesday 19 April 2011 . oTo Page 2 Report alleges NISCOL with Vt450m debt Air Van seeks legal advice on COI By Jane Joshua On the Verge Of A mOtiOn o no con idence against Prime Minister Sato Kilman the government yesterday received a damning report about Northern Islands Ste- ved ori ng Com pan y Lim it- ed (NISCOL) rom the our investigators appointed by the government. Finance Minister Moana Carcasses, who initially appointed the investigators on March 2, 2011 expressed his alarm and surprise over the contents o the prelimi- nary report when he handed it to Deputy Prime Minister Ham Lini on behal o PM Kil- man yesterday aternoon. “NISCOL is over Vt450mil- lion in debt,” said minister Carcasses. “The recommen- dation is or an urgent review to the contract which ties NISCOL to the V anuatu gov- ernment due to continuous reusal, ailure, non respect or the NISCOL company to comply with the provision o constitutional agreement. “There are many recom- mendations and the govern- ment is obliged to address them. “The preliminary report has revealed the act that NIS- COL is no longer a company to service the needs o people in the provinces o SANMA (40% shares) MALAM- PA (20% shares), PENAMA (20%), TORBA (10% shares) and the Vanuatu government (10%),”he said. He alleged that unds rom the company were used instead on political purpos- es. He produced a letter and questioned why the hotel invoices o a leader o a polit- ical party (which he did not name) was to be paid by NIS- COL. He questioned why NIS- COL had a huge unpaid water bill but their meter was never cut. The minister said the com- pany also owes the govern- ment through VAT payments, a huge amount. “What government would accept that it collects on our behal but does not give it to the government?” Carcasses said NISCOL also has a large outstanding in terms o VNPF payments. “In the past the turnover o NISCOL was something, now it is nothing. I you com- pared it to Iira there is no comparison as the company in Ira is well managed. “There are more than 192 wharva ges collec ted which were never paid to t he gov- ernment,” the minister alleged. “I the government today must be toppled because it tries to clean up NISCOL, then so be it,” Carcasses said. He said the reality is that the government has checks and balance mechanisms in place but many cannot do their job. He said police should do theirs, such as when the councilllors barred the inves- tigators to do their job the police should do their job but they did not, as well as Pros- ecution oce, VAT and VNPF but not one dared to as even businessmen rom Luganville are reportedly scared o NIS- COL, hence the line o debts. Minister Carcasses who described the NISCOL issue as very ‘sensitive’ said it was only when Chie Inspector Ant oin e Pik iou ne and the investigation team hand- ed the report to him that he understood why there was so much debate over NIS- COL. Meanwhile, NISCOL man- agement has opposed the appointment o investiga- tors in the past, citing con- fict o interest or members, especially the Chie Inspector Anto ine Pikio une who was ormerly involved with the company. Chie Executive, Kalau Moli, did not comment on the issue yesterday when he was contacted but indicated that the company is already tak- ing legal action. (l-r) Chief Inspector Pikoune and Minister Carcasses yesterday but NISCOL management says issue matter for court WWW.DAILYPOST.VU ISSUE N O 3222 THURSDAY, APRIL 21 2011 P1 CMYK PLATE Publishe d since 1993