The Fiji Sports Council (FSC) Board has not yet received the independent investigation report being prepared by external consultant Pherrus, deputy chairman Peter Mazey confirmed today, leaving the board and the minister for youth and sports without the findings that would trigger any formal action.
Mazey told media the review — commissioned to examine governance and operational matters at the council after concerns were raised about financial management, procurement processes, governance practices and compliance with internal policies and statutory obligations — is still being finalised. “Pherrus, we are advised, are just finishing their report and as advised previously, once it is received it must be tabled and reviewed by the Board and also the Minister of Youth and Sports (Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka),” he said.
The confirmation is the latest development in an investigation that has been awaited by stakeholders inside and outside the FSC. Until the report is formally presented, Mazey said the board has “no knowledge currently of any of their findings and therefore have not been in a position to implement anything.” That means no remedial measures, policy changes, or disciplinary steps have been taken by the board based on the review’s work to date.
Mazey also confirmed the report has not been provided to Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka in his capacity as Minister for Youth and Sports. “As we have not received the investigation report we have nothing to brief the Minister of Youth and Sports on. Once received the Board will review and then submit to the Minister,” he said, reiterating the board’s procedural pathway for handling the external review.
The Pherrus review was initiated after questions were raised about how the FSC managed procurement and finances, and whether its governance and compliance systems were operating effectively. The consultant was tasked with a broad examination of governance, operational matters, financial management and statutory compliance — areas that could prompt a range of responses depending on the findings, from internal reforms to referrals to other authorities.
With the report still outstanding, the FSC board and the minister remain in a holding pattern. The board has signalled it will perform its normal deliberative role once the document is received, reviewing the findings before deciding what to communicate to the minister and what corrective steps — if any — are required. The timing of Pherrus’s final submission was not provided.