Francis Pulewai, the former Acting Deputy Commissioner of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), has publicly addressed her exit and the recent controversial appointment of FICAC Commissioner Barbara Malimali for the first time.
From Australia, Pulewai expressed significant disappointment regarding how her situation was managed, labeling it as an attempt by the very institution she aimed to serve to “victimize” her for simply fulfilling her duties. She stated, “It was really disappointing to me to see that the very arm of Government I was hoping would uphold the rule of law and do the right thing were the very people who, I would say, victimized me for just doing my job.” She added that it seemed the institution was searching for a scapegoat and believed she would be the one to blame.
Pulewai raised serious concerns regarding the rush of Malimali’s appointment while she was still under investigation. “The question that needs to be asked is, why was the appointment rushed when the person appointed was still being investigated? That’s the bottom-line question,” she remarked. On August 28, Pulewai learned that Malimali had been selected for the Commissioner position and subsequently wrote to the President on August 30, warning about the ongoing investigation and urging caution.
Following a discussion on September 3 with the Attorney-General, who inquired if there was an active investigation in her office, Pulewai confirmed the investigation was nearing completion. However, despite the ongoing inquiry, Malimali was appointed on September 4 by President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere on the Judicial Services Commission’s recommendation. The incident, referred to as “Barbara-gate,” triggered responses from the Attorney-General, the Minister for Justice, and the Judicial Services Commission.
Pulewai noted that she was not consulted when the Chief Registrar coordinated a formal introduction of Malimali to the staff. “I thought, why didn’t they call me to inform me about this? It was done in a manner that was just not right,” she said, adding that other managers expressed concerns over having Malimali, who was under investigation, as their leader. She stated that if due diligence had been followed, she wouldn’t have objected to Malimali’s appointment.
Regarding claims that Malimali was detained by FICAC shortly after her appointment, Pulewai clarified that this was a misunderstanding. Her team was actually tasked with questioning Deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad, and Malimali’s detainment occurred only after she declined an invitation for an interview.
Pulewai defended her right to investigate cases, claiming equivalent authority to Malimali as Acting Deputy Commissioner. She revealed that the Prime Minister was not informed of Malimali’s resignation from the Electoral Commission prior to her appointment.
In connection with charges against Biman Prasad, Pulewai confirmed that charges had been prepared, highlighting that clear breaches had been identified and asserting that evidence would support their case. She dismissed Prasad’s characterization of the accusations as “baseless,” emphasizing that the court should determine the validity of the case.
Amid concerns about the citizenship status of the complainant, Pulewai stated that any individual, regardless of ethnicity or citizenship, could file a complaint, as hers was substantiated by documentation. She expressed sadness over the dismissal of complaints, underscoring public trust in the system.
Pulewai characterized FICAC’s situation as chaotic and called for transparency and accountability. She lamented that many issues could have been avoided if Malimali’s appointment had been paused until the investigation was concluded, urging the Prime Minister to allow an inquiry into potential irregularities in the appointment process. She also recounted receiving threats since her departure, mentioning an incident where their vehicle tyre was slashed as they were leaving for Australia, noting a lack of response from the police.