Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has indicated that he will not hesitate to demote his Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Biman Prasad, to the backbench if he faces charges from the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC).
Prasad is currently under investigation by FICAC regarding his alleged failure to declare all of his assets, income, and liabilities before the last election. Rabuka mentioned that he had previously set a similar precedent with former Fisheries Minister, Kalaveti Ravu, who now serves as a backbencher.
Francis Puleiwai, the former Deputy FICAC Commissioner who abruptly resigned on Thursday, approved the order for Mr. Prasad’s arrest on the same day. Rabuka stated, “Yes, that is the standing procedure with me and Professor Biman Prasad had already briefed me on the possibility. There is nothing executive about that; that’s what she has said to the media. It did not come to us that he had been arrested. As soon as he is arrested, it will come to me, and when he is charged, he will have to carry out what is stated in the laws.”
Biman Prasad has noted that the issue is now with his legal counsel and declined to make further comments. He stated, “As I said, my lawyers have been handling the complaint from the beginning and made it very clear that there is no basis in the allegation and no basis of charge. That’s where the matter ends for me, and I don’t wish to make any further comments.”
Fiji Sun has reached out to the newly appointed FICAC Commissioner, Barbara Malimali, to inquire whether she will reassess any charges against Mr. Prasad. As of the latest update, Ms. Malimali had not responded.
Malimali is the second individual to be appointed to this significant role, following Rashmi Aslam, who served as Fiji’s first FICAC Commissioner since its establishment in 2007. Aslam took office in 2012.