Former Prime Minister and leader of the Fiji Labour Party, Mahendra Chaudhry, has alleged that several Ministers currently under investigation by FICAC for submitting false declarations to the Registrar of Political Parties and for engaging in corrupt activities are attempting to influence the appointment of the new FICAC Commissioner.
Chaudhry stated that these Ministers are seeking to evade prosecution by trying to replace Acting Assistant Commissioner Francis Puleiwai with someone of their choosing as the permanent Commissioner.
He also mentioned previous concerns regarding interference from Barbara Malimali, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, regarding the Registrar’s decision to report these Ministers to FICAC.
“A report regarding Malimali’s actions has been submitted to FICAC and confirmed to be under investigation,” Chaudhry noted.
He expressed concerns about the pressures faced by FICAC under Puleiwai while conducting investigations on the Ministers. Furthermore, the Fiji Labour Party has been informed that Malimali may have submitted an application for the FICAC Commissioner position, raising questions about her eligibility.