The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption has received over 60 referrals regarding abuse of power and corruption from the Housing Authority, highlighting concerns of deep-rooted issues within the organization. These referrals, some related to suspected fraud and collusion, date back to 2010.
Esrom Emmanuel, chairman of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, disclosed these findings in Parliament last week, characterizing the corporate governance, transparency, and accountability in the Housing Authority as severely lacking, nearly “pathetic.” He pointed out that certain files had inexplicably gone missing during audits.
Emmanuel stated, “A comprehensive examination of the Office of the Auditor-General’s investigation results revealed that the governance framework at the Housing Authority is alarmingly weak, lacking a Conflict-of-Interest Policy, proper verification processes, and adequate record-keeping, which has led to abuse of power and corruption.”
He noted that not all tender documents related to lot developments from 2010 up to 2020 were made available. Instances of suspected fraud and collusion, where employees and their relatives benefited from procedural breakdowns, should be forwarded to the appropriate authorities since the Auditor-General’s audit did not address legal compliance.
According to Emmanuel, law enforcement agencies would have the capability to investigate these matters further, including accessing financial transaction data from other institutions. He revealed that Housing Authority referred over 60 cases to FICAC following their investigations.
He also mentioned that the Office of the Auditor-General faced challenges interviewing two former key employees responsible for overseeing applicant selection and lot allocations. The Housing Authority was unable to provide documentation for ministerial approvals concerning customers earning over $50,000, particularly for submissions from 2015 and 2016.
Additionally, the absence of 12 customer files—including six from the Tacirua Subdivision and four from Matavolivoli Subdivision—was noted, further complicating the review process and raising suspicions that Housing Authority staff were attempting to evade investigation.