The Minister of Internal Affairs, Andrew Napuat, has appointed a team to conduct an investigation into the Port Vila City Council (PVCC).

The investigation team comprises former Member of Parliament Alfred Maoh, along with Minie Bani and Christopher Nasak.

The team’s mandate is to determine whether PVCC is carrying out its functions in accordance with the Municipalities Act [CAP 126]. This includes examining governance, financial management, and administrative processes within the council, and assessing whether ministerial intervention is required to ensure sound financial management, uphold council integrity, and prevent any disruption to public services.

The team has until the end of this month to complete its work and submit a report to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Towards the end of last year, a motion to remove the Lady Mayor was raised and reportedly supported by 12 of the 14 PVCC councilors.

However, the motion was not placed on the council meeting agenda. As a result, several council meetings failed to proceed due to a lack of quorum, and the council has yet to pass its 2026 budget.

Meanwhile, the 12 councilors have engaged legal representation, and their lawyer has issued a notice to the Office of the Attorney General, acting as the government’s legal advisor, seeking the cancellation of the ministerial order establishing the investigation team.

The notice further states that the Minister should refrain from taking any action until an extraordinary council meeting is held next week, on 21 January.

The councilors have also indicated that if no action is taken within 14 days, they intend to file a conspiracy case in court.