The Attorney-General, Graham Leung, has refuted claims that he served as a referee for Barbara Malimali’s application to become the Commissioner of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC). This statement comes in response to allegations made by Savenaca Narube, the former governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji and leader of the Unity Fiji Party.
Mr. Leung stated that he was unaware of any refereeing role and did not give consent to be listed as such. “I was appointed in June, and within weeks of my appointment, she would have applied,” he explained, questioning why he would compromise his integrity as a lawyer by endorsing someone who would report to him.
He noted that he was previously accused by Mr. Chaudhry of acting as a referee, and now faced similar accusations from Mr. Narube. Mr. Leung firmly denied having any prior knowledge of being a referee for Ms. Malimali or any other candidates. He affirmed that he had not seen Ms. Malimali’s application, which is to be presented before the Judicial Services Commission, the body responsible for appointing the FICAC Commissioner.
Mr. Leung is among several political figures involved in the discussion surrounding Ms. Malimali’s appointment. Earlier this week, she strongly rejected the notion of being a political appointee and asserted that her role would not interfere with ongoing FICAC investigations, including those looking into alleged misconduct by various government ministers.