The Fiji Independent Commission has notified the Fijian Elections Office that it has completed investigations into three cases originally referred in September 2023.
FICAC stated that a preliminary inquiry was conducted concerning complaints against the FijiFirst Party. One of the key complaints involved alleged corrupt practices related to the Fiji First Australia Association Incorporated, specifically against Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and Tito Bainimarama. FICAC noted that the list of donations submitted by the FijiFirst Party for the years 2015 to 2022 did not include any contributions from the Fiji First Australia Association, which is a registered entity in Australia.
FICAC also attempted to obtain further documentation from the complainant, Alexandra Forwood, but was unsuccessful as she could not provide necessary documents or relevant dates for the alleged corrupt practices. The inquiry included an examination of claims linking Tito Bainimarama to former FijiFirst Party Leader Voreqe Bainimarama. However, FICAC’s findings confirmed that there were no records supporting this connection, concluding that Tito Bainimarama is not the former leader.
In addition, the commission investigated accusations against Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and Mohammed Saneem for purported collusion and conflict of interest, as well as allegations involving Ariff Ali regarding a donation to FijiFirst while serving as a civil servant. Preliminary findings revealed that Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and Mohammed Saneem were not shareholders of Formscaff (Fiji) Pte Limited, and it was confirmed that the contract was awarded through the appropriate tender process.
The inquiry also included complaints against Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, the President of Fiji, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, and Charan Jeath Singh. Assistance was sought from the Financial Intelligence Unit concerning financial information about these individuals. The information provided was adequate to disprove the allegations against them, with FICAC also verifying the assets and liabilities as outlined in the FIU report.
FICAC concluded that, following the outcomes of the preliminary inquiry and subsequent legal assessment, there was no evidence to substantiate the claims made by the complainant, leading to the decision to close all files related to the investigations.