Francis Puleiwai, the former acting deputy commissioner of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), has disclosed that she departed Fiji for Australia due to safety concerns, as she had been receiving threats. In an interview with ABC News in Australia, Puleiwai stated that she began receiving threats following her resignation from her position on September 5.
“I left Fiji on September 7 early in the morning,” Puleiwai said. She explained that the decision to leave was prompted by her recent resignation from the Judicial Services Commission, which was effective immediately. Following her resignation, she received unsettling news, causing her concern for her and her children’s safety back home.
Puleiwai noted that her home had also been broken into. “We had a break-in at our house as well. So, I was constantly worried about my safety and my family’s,” she shared.
She and her husband decided it was best for her to go to Australia first, as she held a three-year visa, making her the safest option to leave the country. During their departure on the night of September 6, they discovered that a tire on their vehicle had been punctured, which was later found to have been slashed.
Puleiwai mentioned that she received indirect threats, discouraging her from commenting on the recent appointment of FICAC commissioner Barbara Malimali. Although she did not take these threats seriously at first, her husband, with his military background, advised caution regarding her safety.
Attorney-General Graham Leung stated that he was unaware of any threats directed at Puleiwai after her resignation.