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 decide, rather than his lawyers. This statement comes in response to Mr. Prasad’s remarks concerning the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) charges filed against him.
On September 5, FICAC had planned to charge Mr. Prasad with multiple offenses related to the declaration of assets, income, and liabilities, in violation of Section 24 (1)(b)(iv) of the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding and Disclosures) Act 2013. In previous discussions, Mr. Prasad stated that his lawyers were managing the situation and indicated they would refrain from further comments.
The situation became more complex on September 5, when former Deputy FICAC Commissioner Francis Puleiwai announced her resignation after discussions with the Judicial Services Commission. She has since been succeeded by newly appointed Commissioner Barbara Malimali.
Mr. Chaudhry remarked, “Mr. Biman’s assertion that his lawyers dismissing the charges is irrelevant. The court, not his lawyers, is responsible for determining the validity of the charges.”