Crossbencher Member of Parliament Mosese Bulitavu has defended a special dinner hosted by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.
The dinner, held on Tuesday evening at Suva’s Grand Pacific Hotel, was organized to acknowledge the efforts and commitments made by Government Ministers and Assistant Ministers over the past two years. The event was also attended by their spouses.
On Wednesday, former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry criticized the dinner as ‘lavish’ and ‘sickening,’ saying that such extravagance is embarrassing considering Fiji’s frequent requests for budget support from Australia and New Zealand.
Minister for Finance Biman Prasad referred comments to Mr. Rabuka, who did not respond when approached yesterday. Questions have been sent to him, and a response is awaited.
Defending the event, Mr. Bulitavu stated that it was funded by the Prime Minister’s Entertainment Account, a budget allocation that has existed for years. He suggested that Mr. Chaudhry should be the last person to criticize Mr. Rabuka, citing Chaudhry’s 2014 conviction for breaching the Exchange Control Act by investing money outside Fiji without informing the Reserve Bank and being fined US$1.1 million.