The High Court in Suva is set to hear the civil lawsuit filed by former supervisor of elections Mohammed Saneem against several Constitutional officeholders for failure to pay his outstanding leave payout of $54,443.71. The hearing has been scheduled for March 6, with Justice Savenaca Banuve presiding over the case.
Saneem’s lawsuit names a number of high-profile defendants, including the President of Fiji, the Prime Minister, the Constitutional Offices Commission, the Solicitor-General, and the Attorney-General. The claim arises from Saneem’s allegations that after he was suspended with full pay following the change in government post-2022 General Elections, he submitted his resignation, which was later accepted by the President with immediate effect.
In his claim, Saneem asserts that he was entitled to a leave payout covering 48 days, which accounts for his annual leave and time-off-in-lieu. He calculated a total payout of $67,307 but has only received $12,863.86 thus far. As a result, he argues that the remaining balance of $54,443.71 is still owed to him without any unlawful deductions, citing Article 136 (1) of the Constitution in his argument.
Despite communicating his concerns to the defendants in both 2023 and 2025, Saneem claims that no action has been taken to resolve the matter. The upcoming court hearing may provide a crucial resolution to his longstanding claims, which could set important precedents concerning payment disputes involving public officials in Fiji.
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