Three DSP agent Directors sentence to 1 year imprisonment

An oversea client paid USD114,984 for a Vanuatu passport in 2021 which he never receive but USD 14,000 has been misappropriated.

Three Directors of the Vanuatu Immigration Solution (VIS), a Citizenship Development Program (DSP) agent were found responsible.

Sakias Lulu, George Toa, and Amos Warsal who own VIS were sentenced Tuesday this week to 1 year imprisonment by the Supreme Court for a total of 8 counts of misappropriation.

According to Justice Oliver Saksak, the client, Xia Shen transferred the USD114,984 to VIS Account at the National Bank of Vanuatu (NBV).

Records disclosed by the NBV indicate that the moneys were later moved from the VIS Account to the 3 men’s personal accounts on 8 different occasions between 2020 and 2021.

“The only explanation the defendants have given is that Xia Shen did not honour his part of their agreement that he should pay a commission of VT 7 million,” Justice Saksak stated his written sentence.

“They submitted that because of that failure, they took steps to transfer portions of the moneys paid into VIS account into their personal account as their respective commissions.”

But Justice Saksak stated that is “they were after their commissions, they had avenues or processes to follow to be able to get that benefit”.

Saksak stated that monies were held in tthe VIS account were to be paid to the Government revenue in return for a passport.

While the three men where given the right to appeal, their 12 months imprisonment takes immediate effect on 13 April.

END.