Opposition MP Praveen Bala has dismissed allegations that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) authorized him to be interviewed regarding the investigations into the Housing Authority. The Office of the Auditor-General conducted the investigation, which focused on the illegal allocation of lots and misuse of the tender process.
During a session in Parliament discussing a Review Report on the Housing Authority, Bala stated, “… I was never asked to appear before the Committee.” He also urged Assistant Minister for Finance and PAC Chairperson Esrom Immanuel to refrain from making broad statements in Parliament.
In response, Immanuel told Parliament that the Committee had sent Bala an email, which was later followed up with a phone call from a Committee member.
The investigation revealed issues surrounding the illegal allocation of lots and the abuse of the tender process, leading to the controversial ownership of lots by certain individuals and Housing Authority employees. Immanuel noted that the situation was brought to light after public outcry reached the former Minister for Housing, Premila Kumar, who initiated a special investigation with the Office of the Auditor-General, as allowed under Section 6(1)(d) of the Audit Act 1969.
Immanuel highlighted that the investigation identified those implicated and emphasized the importance of taking appropriate actions as a deterrent and to send a clear disciplinary message to both the public and Housing Authority employees. He mentioned that there are currently 60 cases with the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), with one already progressing in court.
Immanuel expressed the desire for FICAC to expedite the processing of the remaining cases. The report has been laid before Parliament, and under Standing Order 121(5), the Assistant Minister for Finance has proposed a motion for a future debate on the report’s contents.