Former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry emphasized that the indictment of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Biman Prasad, is a matter for the Court to address rather than his legal team. This statement was made in response to Mr. Prasad’s remarks concerning the charges brought against him by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC).
FICAC was set to charge Mr. Prasad on September 5 with multiple counts tied to the declaration of his assets, income, and liabilities, in violation of Section 24 (l)(b)(iv) of the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding, and Disclosures) Act 2013. In earlier discussions, Mr. Prasad maintained that his lawyers would manage the situation and preferred to refrain from further commentary.
The situation escalated on September 5 when former Deputy FICAC Commissioner Francis Puleiwai announced her resignation after talks with the Judicial Services Commission. She has since been succeeded by new Commissioner Barbara Malimali.
Mr. Chaudhry remarked that Mr. Prasad’s assertion about his lawyers disputing the charges holds little significance, insisting that it is the responsibility of the courts to evaluate the validity of the charges.