Francis Pulewai, the former Acting Deputy Commissioner of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), has publicly addressed her departure and the contentious appointment of FICAC Commissioner Barbara Malimali for the first time. Speaking from Australia, Pulewai expressed her profound disappointment with how her situation was managed, suggesting that the commission had sought to “victimize” her for fulfilling her professional duties.
“It was extremely disheartening to witness that the government body I expected to uphold the rule of law was the same one that victimized me for simply doing my job,” Pulewai stated. She alleged that the commission appeared to be searching for someone to blame, ultimately turning to her as a scapegoat.
Pulewai also raised concerns about the rapid appointment of Malimali, who was still under investigation at the time. “Why was the appointment expedited when the individual was facing an ongoing investigation? That is the fundamental question,” she remarked. On August 28, Pulewai learned that Malimali had been selected for the FICAC Commissioner role and subsequently wrote to the President on August 30 to highlight the pending investigation, cautioning against confirming the appointment.
Despite ongoing inquiries, Malimali was appointed on September 4 based on recommendations from the Judicial Services Commission. The Attorney-General Graham Leung, Justice Minister Siromi Turaga, and the Judicial Services Commission have all issued statements regarding the situation since the controversy emerged.
Pulewai revealed that she was not notified when the Chief Registrar directed the Human Resources Manager to gather staff for Malimali’s formal introduction, questioning the appropriateness of the process. She noted that several managers expressed their concerns about having someone under investigation as their leader.
She insisted that no due diligence had been applied before the appointment, asserting her position would have been different if Malimali had been cleared of investigations. In response to claims that Malimali had been detained by FICAC shortly after her appointment, Pulewai clarified that this was a misunderstanding. She explained that Malimali had declined to attend an interview, which led to her team’s decision to detain her.
Pulewai defended her actions during her tenure as Acting Deputy Commissioner, asserting she possessed the same authority to investigate and prosecute as Malimali. She also mentioned that Prime Minister did not know about Malimali’s resignation from the Electoral Commission prior to her new appointment.
She confirmed that charges against Deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad were being prepared, detailing clear violations that had been identified. “The evidence will speak for itself. Fraud cases are well-documented, and any false statements on documents constitute a breach of the Political Parties Act,” she stated, disregarding Prasad’s claims of baseless accusations as the issue was up to the court to decide.
Addressing concerns over the nationality of the individual who filed the complaint, Pulewai emphasized that complaints are accepted irrespective of race or citizenship, asserting that all allegations would be treated equally. She called for transparency and accountability within FICAC, stating the situation had devolved into chaos. Pulewai urged that the appointment process be investigated thoroughly and cited personal security issues she has faced since leaving her position, claiming to have received threats and describing an incident where their vehicle’s tires were slashed.