Former Prime Minister and leader of the Fiji Labour Party, Mahendra Chaudhry, has alleged that several ministers under investigation by the Fijian Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) for submitting false declarations and engaging in corrupt activities are attempting to influence the appointment of the new Commissioner for FICAC.
Chaudhry claims these ministers are trying to evade prosecution by ensuring a candidate of their choosing is appointed as the substantive Commissioner, thus removing their cases from the jurisdiction of Acting Assistant Commissioner Francis Puleiwai.
He also highlighted previous reports regarding interference by the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Barbara Malimali, concerning the Registrar’s decision to refer the ministers to FICAC.
“A report regarding Malimali’s conduct was filed with FICAC and acknowledged; we believe it is currently under investigation,” Chaudhry stated.
He expressed concerns over the pressure being placed on FICAC under Puleiwai amid ongoing investigations into the ministers. Furthermore, he mentioned that the Fiji Labour Party has been informed that Malimali might be a candidate for the FICAC Commissioner position and questioned how she could be considered given the circumstances.