News and Press Releases

Everyone prescribed under Article 67 of the Constitution, Section 5 of the Leadership Code are leaders, and they do have an obligation to file their annual returns every year as directed by the law.

An amendment on the Leadership Code Act this year during the second sitting of the first ordinary session of the parliament in 2020 has directed all leaders to file their annual returns within the office of the Ombudsman but not through the Clerk of Parliament.

On the 19th of May 2020, the Ombudsman published a public report on the unfair deduction of severance entitlements of Mrs Linda George, former Pre School Coordinator of Malampa Province.

Mrs George commenced her employment as a Pre School Coordinator for Malampa Province on 8th of February 2006 and until the date of her retirement she had been employed for a total of approximately 8 years.

The Ombudsman is pleased to release another Special Report on the Observance of Multilingualism for the year 2019 as provided by Article 64(3) of the Constitution.

Ombudsman Bulu took up Office as the 6th Ombudsman of the Republic of Vanuatu on the 10th of July 2019 and this report is his first report on the important matter of Multilingualism.

On 26 August 2020, the Ombudsman of Vanuatu, Mr Hamlison Bulu, met his Australian counter-part Ombudsman Michael Manthorpe, and initiated (virtual) discussions on likely areas of mutual assistance.

A team from the Ombudsman’s Office conducted an awareness last week at Central School Hall last week. More than 100 years 11, 12 and 13 students attended and showed interest on the topics discussed during the awareness.

Senior Language officer Beranger Tevanu, Investigator Richard Michael from Leadership Code and Investigator Maladministration Lydian Csiba conducted the awareness to the students and teachers. The awareness was mainly on the functions of the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman act was amended during the second sitting of the first ordinary session of parliament of this year.

Section 23 of the Ombudsman Act provides that failure to comply with a notice issued by the Ombudsman with a Notice under section 22 may result with the Ombudsman applying to court for a summons to be issued and a fine of 100,000 vatu to be paid for failing to comply with notice under section 22 of the Act. This provision has now been amended and a fine of 500,000 vatu to be paid if anyone fails to comply with a summon issued under section 22 of the Ombudsman Act.

The recent Amendment of the Leadership Code directs all persons classified as Leaders under Article 67 of the Constitution and section 5 of the Leadership Code Act to submit their annual returns to the Ombudsman Office. Leaders are previously required to submit their annual returns to the Clerk of Parliament, however this is now changed during the second sitting of the first ordinary session of parliament in 2020.

Ombudsman Recommends the Ministry of Education to Ensure Retired Teachers Receive Their Retirements Letters Before Retirement Date Lapses.

Today 19th May 2020, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Vanuatu Release a public report which finds that the process in which the Ministry of Education took to inform retiree, Mrs. Linda George, of her retirement is not in accordance with the Law.

All investigators within the Ombudsman’s Office were fortunate to attend a day awareness training conducted by United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) on Fraud and Financial Crimes.

Special Agents Brian Bertnik and Luke Winterer represented the NCIS Field Office in Singapore to conduct the awareness training.

The Ombudsman of the Republic of Vanuatu is visiting the Northern town this week after Tropical Cyclone ravaged the northern island.

TC Harold made landfall across the islands in the central of the country including Santo, where the second office of the Ombudsman is operating.