Speaking to the regional media this week, Vanuatu government spokesman, Daniel Bangtor revealed that following the arrest last month of prominent expatriate businessman, Robert Bond, a Vanuatu citizen, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation appears to have frozen the accounts of Vanuatu Maritime Services, the New York-based company which handles the jurisdiction's shipping registry.

Mr Bangtor went on to express the government's concern that it has been unable to contact Mr Bond, currently being held in Memphis, and asked for assurance that the shipping registry revenue has not been confiscated, reasoning that the profits belong to the Vanuatu government, rather than to Robert Bond.