The Fiji Independent Commission has notified the Fijian Elections Office that it has closed three cases referred for investigation in September 2023. The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) conducted a preliminary inquiry into complaints against the FijiFirst Party.
One specific complaint involved alleged corrupt practices associated with the Fiji First Australia Association Incorporated, particularly concerning figures Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and Tito Bainimarama. The inquiry revealed that the list of donations submitted by the FijiFirst Party for the years 2015 to 2022 did not include contributions from the Fiji First Australia Association, which is a registered entity in Australia.
FICAC attempted to obtain further documents from complainant Alexandra Forwood, but the request was unsuccessful as she could not provide any supporting documents or dates related to the alleged corrupt practices. Additionally, the investigation looked into Tito Bainimarama’s connection to former FijiFirst Party leader Voreqe Bainimarama, confirming that no records were found linking Tito Bainimarama to Voreqe Bainimarama.
Another complaint involved allegations of collusion and conflict of interest concerning Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Mohammed Saneem, and Ariff Ali for donations made to FijiFirst while serving as civil servants. Preliminary findings indicated that neither Sayed-Khaiyum nor Saneem are shareholders in Formscaff (Fiji) Pte Limited, and the contract in question was awarded following the proper tender process.
Lastly, a complaint was filed against President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, and Charan Jeath Singh. An investigation into their financial dealings, conducted with the assistance of the Financial Intelligence Unit, provided sufficient evidence to dismiss the allegations. FICAC verified the assets and liabilities reported by the Financial Intelligence Unit and found no basis for the claims made.
Following these preliminary inquiries and the subsequent legal assessment, FICAC has concluded that there is no evidence to substantiate the allegations, resulting in the closure of the cases.