Harry Iauko
Encyclopedia
Harry Iauko is a ni-Vanuatu
politician
.
In 2005, he was appointed Secretary-General of the Vanua'aku Pati
. He had been described as "the architect of the re-election of (Edward) Natapei
" to the party's leadership. The Contemporary Pacific
alleged that Iauko had "made a number of promises to various people in return for votes".
In 2008, Vanuatu’s Ombudsman
recommended that criminal charges be brought against him concerning the sale of public land
at Fatumaru Bay. The Ombudsman stated that Iauko might have been bribed
.
Following the 2008 general election
, he is a Member of Parliament
for Tanna, representing the Vanua'aku Pati.
In November 2008, Prime Minister Edward Natapei
suspended him from the Vanua'aku Pati for signing a failed motion of no confidence
against him. In June 2009, however, Iauko was appointed Minister for Lands in Natapei's Cabinet
.
A few days after his appointment, he unsuccessfully demanded the resignation of Opposition MP Ralph Regenvanu
, who had accused him of being "corrupt
".
In May 2010, claiming that he had been elected president of the Vanua'aku Pati
-a claim which Natapei contested-, he joined the opposition to Natapei's government, and was appointed deputy Opposition leader.
In December, when Natapei was ousted in a vote of no confidence and replaced as Prime Minister by Sato Kilman
, Iauko was appointed Minister for Infrastructure and Public Utilities.
On 4 March 2011, the Vanuatu Daily Post
accused him of having led a group of "thugs" into the newspaper's offices, arriving in a government-registered vehicle. The Daily Post reported that Iauko threatened to "break [the] face" of editor Royson Willie, and stood by and watched while his "thugs" strangled and kicked publisher Marc Neil-Jones. This followed a series of articles which the newspaper had published criticising several of Iauko's actions as minister. Neil-Jones said he would press charges against Iauko "on several counts including aiding and abetting
an assault
". The Daily Post on 5 March headlined "Iauko brings disgrace to Kilman government", describing Iauko's actions, and also published again a list of several acts of "alleged corrupt land dealings" which the minister had been involved in.
Iauko later gave his side of the story to The Independent, saying he had indeed confronted Neil-Jones on the premises of the Daily Post, because he had "had enough" of that newspaper's "unfair and unbalanced" reporting. "I said: 'Marc, I know you are all about making money, selling news, and all I want is my side of the events told.' [...] Then, while I was talking, one of my boys just walked past me, grabbed his head and put it on the table, then the other grabbed his head and put it on the table and I said, 'Enough', and we walked out." Iauko denied that Neil-Jones had been strangled, kicked or pushed to the ground, and denied that he had brought more than three men with him into Neil-Jones' office - a claim which Neil-Jones said was contradicted by photographs taken by the Daily Post staff.
Three weeks after the events, police arrested four suspects, whose names were not immediately revealed. Neil-Jones said the police had told him Iauko, who was "currently undergoing medical treatment in Australia", was "likely to be charged on his return". In early April, it was reported he would appear in court, on charges of "inciting and abetting assault and unlawful assembly", and that "the government of Sato Kilman continue[d] to face criticism for not taking any action to discipline its Minister over the alleged assault which ha[d] prompted outrage among regional media organisations and strong statements from various foreign diplomats". The government stated it would wait for the court's ruling before deciding on whether to expel Iauko from government.
On 6 April, Iauko failed to appear in court for a first hearing.
The issue of his potential suspension from government, however, soon became moot, as the Kilman government was narrowly ousted in a parliamentary motion of no confidence
on 24 April, and Iauko lost his government position along with every other minister. The matter was revived three weeks later, on 13 May, when the Court of Appeal voided the election of Serge Vohor
's new government on constitutional grounds, and the Kilman government was restored. This lasted for only a month; on 16 June, the Kilman premiership was itself voided on constitutional grounds by the Supreme Court's Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek, and Iauko lost office once more. He regained it on 26 June when Kilman was restored as Prime Minister by Parliament, and reinstated his Cabinet.
After an adjournment of the case at the request of the defence, it was reported that Iauko would appear in court on 10 June, on charges of unlawful assembly
, tresspass, intentional assault
and threatening
. On 30 June, having pled guilty to aiding and abetting
damage to property and aiding and abetting intentional assault, he was fined Vt15,000. The other charges were withdrawn by the prosecution. Reporters Without Borders
denounced the fine as "risible", saying it was "not commensurate with the gravity of the crime", and that such a small fine for an assault on a journalist risked pushing other journalists to censor themselves rather than criticise politicians.
Iauko is a former Chairman of the Board of Management of Air Vanuatu
. He was removed from the position by Minister of Public Utilities Serge Vohor
in 2009.
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
In 2005, he was appointed Secretary-General of the Vanua'aku Pati
Vanua'aku Pati
The Vanua'aku Pati is a political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 1 September 2008, the party won 11 out of 52 seats, becoming the largest party in Parliament....
. He had been described as "the architect of the re-election of (Edward) Natapei
Edward Natapei
Edward Nipake Natapei Tuta Fanua`araki is a politician from Vanuatu. He was elected Prime Minister of Vanuatu on two separate terms, and was previously the Minister of Foreign Affairs briefly in 1991, the acting President of Vanuatu from 2 March 1999 to 24 March 1999 , and Deputy Prime Minister...
" to the party's leadership. The Contemporary Pacific
The Contemporary Pacific
The Contemporary Pacific: A Journal of Island Affairs is an academic journal covering a wide range of disciplines with the aim of providing comprehensive coverage of contemporary developments in the entire Pacific Islands region, including Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia...
alleged that Iauko had "made a number of promises to various people in return for votes".
In 2008, Vanuatu’s Ombudsman
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
recommended that criminal charges be brought against him concerning the sale of public land
Public land
In all modern states, some land is held by central or local governments. This is called public land. The system of tenure of public land, and the terminology used, varies between countries...
at Fatumaru Bay. The Ombudsman stated that Iauko might have been bribed
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
.
Following the 2008 general election
Vanuatuan general election, 2008
Parliamentary elections were held in Vanuatu on September 2, 2008. In July, the Melanesian Progressive Party requested that they be postponed, contesting the constitutionality of the Peoples Representation Act No. 33 of 2007, which allegedly enabled voters in certain constituencies to vote in two...
, he is a Member of Parliament
Parliament of Vanuatu
The Parliament is the unicameral legislative body of the Republic of Vanuatu.It was established by chapter 4 of the 1980 Constitution, upon Vanuatu's independence from France and the United Kingdom....
for Tanna, representing the Vanua'aku Pati.
In November 2008, Prime Minister Edward Natapei
Edward Natapei
Edward Nipake Natapei Tuta Fanua`araki is a politician from Vanuatu. He was elected Prime Minister of Vanuatu on two separate terms, and was previously the Minister of Foreign Affairs briefly in 1991, the acting President of Vanuatu from 2 March 1999 to 24 March 1999 , and Deputy Prime Minister...
suspended him from the Vanua'aku Pati for signing a failed motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
against him. In June 2009, however, Iauko was appointed Minister for Lands in Natapei's Cabinet
Council of Ministers of Vanuatu
The Cabinet of Vanuatu is the cabinet of the government of the Republic of Vanuatu....
.
A few days after his appointment, he unsuccessfully demanded the resignation of Opposition MP Ralph Regenvanu
Ralph Regenvanu
Ralph John Regenvanu is a ni-Vanuatu anthropologist, artist and politician. He has been a Member of Parliament since September 2008, a member of Cabinet for most of the period since December 2010, and was the Director of the Vanuatu National Cultural Council from 1995 until December 2010.He has...
, who had accused him of being "corrupt
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
".
In May 2010, claiming that he had been elected president of the Vanua'aku Pati
Vanua'aku Pati
The Vanua'aku Pati is a political party in Vanuatu.At the last legislative elections, 1 September 2008, the party won 11 out of 52 seats, becoming the largest party in Parliament....
-a claim which Natapei contested-, he joined the opposition to Natapei's government, and was appointed deputy Opposition leader.
In December, when Natapei was ousted in a vote of no confidence and replaced as Prime Minister by Sato Kilman
Sato Kilman
Sato Kilman is a Vanuatu politician. He was Prime Minister of Vanuatu from December 2010 to April 2011 and from May to June 2011, though his premiership was subsequently annulled by a court of law. He was elected Prime Minister again on 26 June 2011, thus beginning his first legally recognised term...
, Iauko was appointed Minister for Infrastructure and Public Utilities.
On 4 March 2011, the Vanuatu Daily Post
Vanuatu Daily Post
The Vanuatu Daily Post is a newspaper published in Port Vila in Vanuatu. It is the only daily newspaper in Vanuatu.-External links:**...
accused him of having led a group of "thugs" into the newspaper's offices, arriving in a government-registered vehicle. The Daily Post reported that Iauko threatened to "break [the] face" of editor Royson Willie, and stood by and watched while his "thugs" strangled and kicked publisher Marc Neil-Jones. This followed a series of articles which the newspaper had published criticising several of Iauko's actions as minister. Neil-Jones said he would press charges against Iauko "on several counts including aiding and abetting
Aiding and abetting
Criminal=Aiding and abetting is an additional provision in United States criminal law, for situations where it cannot be shown the party personally carried out the criminal offense, but where another person may have carried out the illegal act as an agent of the charged, working together with or...
an assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
". The Daily Post on 5 March headlined "Iauko brings disgrace to Kilman government", describing Iauko's actions, and also published again a list of several acts of "alleged corrupt land dealings" which the minister had been involved in.
Iauko later gave his side of the story to The Independent, saying he had indeed confronted Neil-Jones on the premises of the Daily Post, because he had "had enough" of that newspaper's "unfair and unbalanced" reporting. "I said: 'Marc, I know you are all about making money, selling news, and all I want is my side of the events told.' [...] Then, while I was talking, one of my boys just walked past me, grabbed his head and put it on the table, then the other grabbed his head and put it on the table and I said, 'Enough', and we walked out." Iauko denied that Neil-Jones had been strangled, kicked or pushed to the ground, and denied that he had brought more than three men with him into Neil-Jones' office - a claim which Neil-Jones said was contradicted by photographs taken by the Daily Post staff.
Three weeks after the events, police arrested four suspects, whose names were not immediately revealed. Neil-Jones said the police had told him Iauko, who was "currently undergoing medical treatment in Australia", was "likely to be charged on his return". In early April, it was reported he would appear in court, on charges of "inciting and abetting assault and unlawful assembly", and that "the government of Sato Kilman continue[d] to face criticism for not taking any action to discipline its Minister over the alleged assault which ha[d] prompted outrage among regional media organisations and strong statements from various foreign diplomats". The government stated it would wait for the court's ruling before deciding on whether to expel Iauko from government.
On 6 April, Iauko failed to appear in court for a first hearing.
The issue of his potential suspension from government, however, soon became moot, as the Kilman government was narrowly ousted in a parliamentary motion of no confidence
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
on 24 April, and Iauko lost his government position along with every other minister. The matter was revived three weeks later, on 13 May, when the Court of Appeal voided the election of Serge Vohor
Serge Vohor
Rialuth Serge Vohor is a politician from Vanuatu. He hails from the largest island of Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo, from Port Olry.He is a member of the Union of Moderate Parties, a conservative, Francophone political party. When his party came to power in 1991, Vohor became foreign minister of Vanuatu...
's new government on constitutional grounds, and the Kilman government was restored. This lasted for only a month; on 16 June, the Kilman premiership was itself voided on constitutional grounds by the Supreme Court's Chief Justice Vincent Lunabek, and Iauko lost office once more. He regained it on 26 June when Kilman was restored as Prime Minister by Parliament, and reinstated his Cabinet.
After an adjournment of the case at the request of the defence, it was reported that Iauko would appear in court on 10 June, on charges of unlawful assembly
Unlawful assembly
Unlawful assembly is a legal term to describe a group of people with the mutual intent of deliberate disturbance of the peace. If the group are about to start the act of disturbance, it is termed a rout; if the disturbance is commenced, it is then termed a riot.- Section 144 :Section 144 is a...
, tresspass, intentional assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
and threatening
Criminal threatening
Criminal threatening is the crime of intentionally or knowingly putting another person in fear of imminent bodily injury.There is no legal definition in English law as to what constitutes criminal threatening behaviour, so it is up to the courts to decide on a case by case basis. However,...
. On 30 June, having pled guilty to aiding and abetting
Aiding and abetting
Criminal=Aiding and abetting is an additional provision in United States criminal law, for situations where it cannot be shown the party personally carried out the criminal offense, but where another person may have carried out the illegal act as an agent of the charged, working together with or...
damage to property and aiding and abetting intentional assault, he was fined Vt15,000. The other charges were withdrawn by the prosecution. Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
denounced the fine as "risible", saying it was "not commensurate with the gravity of the crime", and that such a small fine for an assault on a journalist risked pushing other journalists to censor themselves rather than criticise politicians.
Iauko is a former Chairman of the Board of Management of Air Vanuatu
Air Vanuatu
Air Vanuatu is an airline with its head office in the Air Vanuatu House, Port Vila, Vanuatu. It is Vanuatu's national flag carrier, operating to Australia, New Zealand and points in the South Pacific...
. He was removed from the position by Minister of Public Utilities Serge Vohor
Serge Vohor
Rialuth Serge Vohor is a politician from Vanuatu. He hails from the largest island of Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo, from Port Olry.He is a member of the Union of Moderate Parties, a conservative, Francophone political party. When his party came to power in 1991, Vohor became foreign minister of Vanuatu...
in 2009.