According to a report in local publication the Vanuatu Trading Post, a top government lawyer on the Pacific island has failed to have his contract renewed, sparking fears that the move will hinder the government's anti-money laundering efforts.
The Trading Post says Vanuatu's prime minister, Barak Sope, has refused to renew the contract of Rowan Downing, the solicitor-general and chief adviser to the attorney-general, despite the Asian Development Bank (ADB) agreeing to finance a new contract. It is not known exactly why Downing was given his marching orders.
Downing's responsibilities were numerous - he was in charge of investigating financial irregularities and established the Financial Intelligence Unit which was a requisite of the money laundering Act passed by the Vanuatu government last year. Downing was also said to be instrumental in restoring the reputation of Vanuatu as an offshore financial centre, particularly after US banks placed a blanket ban on transfers with financial institutions in the South Pacific region, including Vanuatu, in January 2000, following allegations of laundering cash linked to Russian crime syndicates.
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