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Public Service Commission's Appointment of Mr Jean Sese as Director General of the Prime Minister's Office [1998] VUOM 15; 1998.15 (9 July 1998)

REPUBLIC OF VANUATU

OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN

PUBLIC REPORT

ON THE

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION'S APPOINTMENT OF MR JEAN SESE TO THE POST OF DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE

9 July 1998

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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PREAMBLE

'These are the things that ye shall do, speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour, execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates, and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour, and love no false oath for all these are things - that I hate, said the Lord- '

Zechariah 8 v 16 and 17.

1 SUMMARY

1.1 This report is about the Public Service Commission’s appointment of Mr Jean Sese to the post of Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office.

1.2 In two recent public reports the Ombudsman found that Mr Sese had been grossly incompetent as Director of Foreign Affairs. The second report found that during a five year period Mr Sese allowed the improper issue of about sixty diplomatic and official passports. Two of the more notable examples are Jae Yong (Richard) JUNG, a convicted criminal from South Korea and fugitive from justice and Peter Harold Swanson, the person later convicted of multiple fraud charges relating to the US$100 million Bank Guarantee Scam. As a result of her findings, the Ombudsman recommended that Mr Sese face disciplinary action.

1.3 The Public Service Commission followed the recommendation. A Disciplinary Board hearing sat and convicted Mr Sese. However, because that Disciplinary Board had not received (nor requested) any adequate instructions, guidance or help from anyone it failed to follow the proper procedures required for the hearing. This resulted in the decision being quashed on advice from the Attorney General who considered that proper procedure had not been followed.