Former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry has emphasized that the indictment of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Biman Prasad is a matter for the court to resolve, not his lawyers. Chaudhry’s remarks come in response to Prasad’s statements regarding the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) charges he is facing.
FICAC was set to charge Prasad on September 5 with multiple offenses related to the improper declaration of assets, income, and liabilities, as outlined in Section 24 (1)(b)(iv) of the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Act 2013. Throughout previous inquiries, Prasad has maintained that his legal team is managing the issue and has refrained from providing additional comments.
The situation around this indictment became more complex on September 5, coinciding with the resignation of Francis Puleiwai, the former Deputy FICAC Commissioner, after talks with the Judicial Services Commission. Barbara Malimali has since been appointed as the new FICAC Commissioner.
Chaudhry stated, “Mr Biman’s claim that his lawyers rejecting the charges is neither here nor there. It is for the courts, not his lawyers, to decide on the merits of the charges.”