The Minister for Justice, Siromi Turaga, has emerged as a controversial figure within the Coalition Government after describing media coverage of the FICAC (Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption) situation as an “obsession.” Last week in Parliament, when approached for his thoughts on the FICAC controversy, Turaga questioned, “What’s this obsession with this FICAC controversy?” He also rejected allegations of any ministerial interference.
FICAC has been in the spotlight for several months, primarily due to the appointment of its commissioner, Barbara Malimali, who was under FICAC investigation at the time of her selection. Ms. Malimali was appointed following a recommendation from the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and in consultation with Government legal adviser, Graham Leung.
Both the JSC and the government legal adviser have defended the appointment process of Ms. Malimali. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry has criticized Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka for failing to promptly address the ongoing issue.
The Cabinet is set to deliberate today on the agenda, which includes discussions about establishing a Commission of Inquiry (COI) to investigate the inconsistencies surrounding the FICAC saga.