Vanuatu's Supreme Court will decide if a case against the caretaker Prime Minister Charlot Salwai and four other senior politicians, on bribery and perjury charges, should go ahead, after lawyers filed an application to halt all legal proceedings.
Court proceedings were scheduled to begin in the Magistrates Court yesterday but have been adjourned so the Supreme Court can hear an application lodged by the defendants' lawyers that the court case is "an abuse of procedure".
Nigel Morrison, a lawyer for the caretaker Agriculture Minister Matai Seremiah, said the Supreme Court will meet on May 14.
Mr Morission said the adjournment will allow his client to contest this week's national elections without distractions.
"I have no doubt that he's [Mr Seremiah] is pleased to concentrate on the election now and hopefully his re-election to Parliament."
The charges date back to 2013 with the defendants accused of using ministerial appointments and parliamentary secretary postings, to avoid a vote of no confidence.