Former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, former Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, and former Elections Supervisor Mohammed Saneem have been exonerated from the allegations investigated by the Fijian Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC).
FICAC has closed its investigation into Mr. Bainimarama regarding claims of false declarations of Income, Assets, and Liabilities for the years 2014-2019 and 2022. These allegations were referred to FICAC by the Fijian Elections Office in February. According to FICAC, Mr. Bainimarama correctly declared his dividends as well as the value of his shared account in which the dividends were deposited. The investigation also determined that, in accordance with the Income Tax (Exempt Income) Regulation 2016, these allowances are exempt from taxation as they pertain to official allowances for Parliament members. Furthermore, the regulations specify that certain allowances related to job performance, such as per diem, are not recognized for tax exemption.
FICAC concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support the claims made against Mr. Bainimarama.
In a similar vein, Mr. Sayed-Khaiyum has been cleared of allegations regarding the non-declaration of his overseas travel allowance. FICAC stated it found no sufficient evidence to demonstrate that he violated the Political Parties (Registration, Conduct, Funding, and Disclosures) Act 2013. The investigation revealed that the Act does not specifically cover the income types that political party office holders must declare.
FICAC has also provided recommendations to the Fijian Elections Office for revisions and improvements to avoid similar issues in the future and to enhance the investigation process.