Fiji’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) Commissioner Barbara Malimali has promised to review all investigations conducted by FICAC against Cabinet Ministers, including her own case, urging the public to trust the process.
On Tuesday, Malimali filed a police report against former acting deputy FICAC Commissioner Francis Pulewai, emphasizing her commitment to perform her duties thoroughly regardless of the situation. She noted that FICAC had issued a stop order for Ms. Pulewai, who had resigned the previous weekend.
Speaking to the media outside the court, where media access to FICAC premises was restricted, Malimali stated, “I am still familiarizing myself with the organization. It’s important to let these processes unfold.” She took office on September 5 and remarked that the cases were making progress.
Since May, the Fijian Elections Office has referred at least eight senior Cabinet ministers to FICAC over allegations of electoral misconduct. The ministers implicated are:
– Charan Jeath Singh, Minister for Sugar and Multi-Ethnic Affairs
– Biman Prasad, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance
– Lynda Tabuya, Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection
– Manoa Kamikamica, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Communication and Trade
– Siromi Turaga, Minister for Justice
– Aseri Radrodro, Minister for Education
– Ifereimi Vasu, Minister for iTaukei Affairs
Additionally, the FEO referred President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere to FICAC on February 15, along with Opposition MPs Faiyaz Koya and Semi Koroilavesau.
Former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry alleged that both the President and Prime Minister were aware of Malimali’s ongoing investigation by FICAC at the time of her appointment. The Judicial Services Commission (JSC), which recommended Malimali, is led by Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo. Efforts made by the media to contact the JSC for comments have gone unanswered.
Chaudhry claimed that FICAC had notified the President and Prime Minister about the investigation into Malimali on August 30, and that the President’s office responded on September 3, expressing intentions to seek legal advice on the matter. He criticized attempts to distract public attention from the situation.
Savena Narube, leader of the Unity Fiji party and a former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Fiji, expressed his concerns about the procedural integrity of the appointment. He recommended that the JSC suspend Malimali’s appointment until the investigation concludes, warning that failure to address the issue would equate to the previous government’s misuse of FICAC for political protection or to harm adversaries. Narube emphasized the need to initiate an inquiry to maintain public trust in FICAC’s accountability and transparency in combating corruption in Fiji.