The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) has notified the Supervisor of Elections, Ana Mataiciwa, about the decision to close two cases involving the Minister for Women, Lynda Tabuya. The closure of these cases was endorsed on August 12, 2024, and the referral to the Supervisor of Elections occurred on September 20, 2024.
In the first case, the Supervisor of Elections referred a complaint to FICAC on April 5, 2024, concerning allegations of false and non-declaration of income. Following an assessment and inquiry, FICAC determined that the only necessary declaration from Tabuya was related to her statement of candidacy for the general elections submitted in 2022. Consequently, FICAC decided to close this case.
The second case, referred to FICAC on May 24, 2024, involved allegations of false and non-declaration under Section 24 of the Political Parties Act. After conducting a preliminary inquiry, FICAC found no requirement for the Minister to disclose any spousal information, as she has been divorced from Robert Semaan since 2016. As a result, this case has also been closed.
The findings from both preliminary inquiries have been communicated to the Supervisor of Elections.