The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) has notified the Supervisor of Election, Ana Mataiciwa, regarding the decision to close two cases involving Minister for Women, Lynda Tabuya. The closures were approved on August 12, 2024, and communicated to the Supervisor of Elections on September 20, 2024.
In the first case, a complaint was sent to FICAC by the Supervisor of Elections on April 5, 2024, alleging false and non-declaration of income. After registering the complaint, FICAC conducted an inquiry. The investigation revealed that the only declaration required from Tabuya pertained to her statement of candidacy for the general elections, which she submitted in 2022. Consequently, FICAC has opted to close this case.
The second complaint, referred to FICAC by the Supervisor of Elections on May 24, 2024, involved allegations of false and non-declaration under Section 24 of the Political Parties Act. Following an inquiry into this matter, FICAC determined that there was no obligation for Minister Tabuya to disclose any spousal information, as she has been divorced from Robert Semaan since 2016. As a result, FICAC has also decided to close this file.
The outcomes of both preliminary inquiries have been reported to the Supervisor of Elections.