The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) has informed the Supervisor of Elections, Ana Mataiciwa, about the decision to close two investigations involving Minister for Women, Lynda Tabuya. The endorsement for the closure of these cases was made on August 12, 2024, and communicated to the Supervisor of Elections on September 20, 2024.
The first case originated from a complaint received from the Supervisor of Elections on April 5, 2024, regarding allegations of false and non-declaration of income. FICAC registered this complaint and conducted an inquiry. Following the investigation and legal advice, FICAC concluded that Tabuya was only required to declare her information concerning her candidacy statement for the general elections, which she had completed in 2022. As a result, FICAC opted to close this file.
In the second case, a complaint was sent to FICAC by the Supervisor of Elections on May 24, 2024, concerning false and non-declaration under Section 24 of the Political Parties Act. FICAC also registered this complaint and carried out an inquiry. The preliminary inquiry revealed that there was no obligation for Minister Tabuya to disclose spousal information since she has been divorced from Robert Semaan since 2016. Consequently, FICAC has also chosen to close this file.
The outcomes of the preliminary inquiries for both cases have been submitted to the Supervisor of Elections.