Former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry emphasized that the responsibility for the indictment of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Biman Prasad, lies solely with the Court and not with the legal representatives of Mr. Prasad. This statement follows Mr. Prasad’s remarks regarding the charges brought against him by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC).
FICAC was set to charge Mr. Prasad on September 5 for multiple offenses related to the declaration of his assets, income, and liabilities, which allegedly violate Section 24 (l)(b)(iv) of the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Act 2013. Throughout previous inquiries, Mr. Prasad maintained that his legal team was managing the situation and would refrain from further comments.
The situation escalated on September 5 when former Deputy FICAC Commissioner Francis Puleiwai resigned following discussions with the Judicial Services Commission. She has now been succeeded by newly-appointed Commissioner Barbara Malimali.
Chaudhry remarked, “Mr. Biman’s assertion that his lawyers dismissing the charges is irrelevant. The merits of the charges are for the courts to determine, not his lawyers.”