FICAC Commissioner Barbara Malimali has revealed that she was unaware of an ongoing investigation against her until investigators conducted a raid at the Electoral Commission’s office on September 3, which was related to allegations of abuse of office.
Malimali stated that she was not informed about her potential detention and questioning when she reported for work on September 5. She expressed that if she had been notified, she would have willingly cooperated with the investigation.
“It was unfortunate that things happened the way they did on my first day of work,” she remarked, adding that the allegations against her were unfounded, and she was simply performing her duties as chair of the Electoral Commission.
She also mentioned that she had not communicated with former FICAC acting deputy commissioner Francis Puleiwai, who authorized the raid at the Electoral Commission office and her subsequent arrest.
“I had not spoken to her prior to that,” Malimali noted, emphasizing her lack of awareness regarding the investigation. She stated that she would not be commenting further on active investigations involving her.