The Fiji Labour Party (FLP) has criticized Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka for publicly commenting on the legitimacy of Barbara Malimali’s appointment as FICAC Commissioner before an inquiry takes place.
In their statement, the FLP argued that Malimali’s appointment was unlawful, as she was under investigation by FICAC at the time of her selection. They contended that the Judicial Services Commission made an error in appointing her without first ensuring that she was cleared by FICAC.
FLP Leader Mahendra Chaudhry described the assertion that her appointment complied with the law as misleading. He raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding Malimali’s appointment, questioning the motives behind it and the subsequent resignation of Francis Puleiwai from his position as Deputy Commissioner.
Chaudhry suggested that the timing of the appointment seemed intended to disrupt the work of an independent authority and possibly to hinder the imminent arrest of Professor Biman Prasad, who faces multiple charges of submitting false financial information to the Registrar of Political Parties, as outlined in Section 24 of the Political Parties Act.
The former Prime Minister expressed apprehension regarding Rabuka’s comments about discussing the terms of reference and appointment of the upcoming inquiry in Cabinet next Tuesday. Chaudhry highlighted that several Cabinet Ministers are under investigation by FICAC based on complaints from the Registrar of Political Parties, which he sees as a significant conflict of interest.
He questioned whether these ministers should be responsible for determining the inquiry’s terms of reference or selecting its members. Additionally, the FLP noted that the Prime Minister has committed to facilitating Puleiwai’s return to Fiji for the inquiry, but Chaudhry emphasized that this assurance depends on the support of his ministers and other relevant government bodies involved in the issue.