Vanuatu's Court of Appeal dismisses convicted MPs' appeals Featured
Crowds gather to witness the convicted MP's inside the escorted Police Vehicle in front of the
21 November, 2015. The Court of Appeal has also dismissed the MPs' appeal against President Baldwin Lonsdale's decision to revoke their self-imposed pardon.
The speaker of parliament Marcellino Pipite pardoned himself and the other MPs while he was acting president, and had argued that Mr Lonsdale didn't have the power to overturn them.
The ruling by the court means the MPs now have no other means of appeal, and will have to serve their prison sentences of up to four years.
The ruling also means the MPs lose their seats in parliament, which upsets the balance of power because the government of prime minister Sato Kilman has now lost half its MPs.
RNZI
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'Oku te manumanumelie'ia he fakahoko lelei 'ehe Fakamaau'anga 'a honau fatongia, 'ikai toe kaunoa atu ha taha. Ko e ako ma'olunga eni mei he fonua 'oku tala ko e fonua fakapo'uli ketau fou ai 'a Tonga ni ko e fonua kalisitiane mo lotu mo'oni 'i he lau 'a e tokolahi. Toe ki'i hili 'etau lotu kau taki ki he me'afua 'o vakai'i pe 'oku mamafa fefeee!