The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) has communicated with the Supervisor of Elections, Ana Mataiciwa, about the decision to close two cases involving Minister for Women, Lynda Tabuya. The closure of these cases was finalized on August 12, 2024, and reported to the Supervisor of Elections on September 20, 2024.
In the first case, the Supervisor of Elections had referred a complaint to FICAC on April 5, 2024, regarding claims of false and non-declaration of income. FICAC investigated the matter, and after reviewing the findings and obtaining legal advice, concluded that the only required declaration from Tabuya was related to her statement of candidacy submitted for the general elections in 2022. Consequently, FICAC opted to close the case.
The second case was referred to FICAC on May 24, 2024, also involving allegations of false and non-declaration concerning Section 24 of the Political Parties Act. FICAC conducted an assessment and inquiry into this complaint. It determined that the Minister was not obligated to disclose any spousal information, as she has been divorced from Robert Semaan since 2016. Thus, FICAC has also decided to close this file.
The findings from both preliminary inquiries were shared with the Supervisor of Elections.