The suspended Commissioner of Police, Sitiveni Qiliho, has officially resigned, paving the way for the selection of a new police chief. The Constitutional Offices Commission (COC) received his resignation last Thursday, but the reasons for his decision have not been disclosed.
Qiliho was suspended on January 27, 2023, by President Ratu Willame Katonivere following advice from the COC, amid allegations of misconduct. During this period, he continued to earn his full salary while waiting for a tribunal hearing.
On May 9, 2023, he was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison for abuse of office, alongside former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, who was charged with attempting to interfere with the course of justice. Qiliho’s conviction related to his orders to halt an investigation into a matter involving the University of the South Pacific in July 2020.
Despite this conviction, the COC had been preparing to convene a tribunal to investigate separate misconduct allegations against Qiliho. He is also facing another charge of abuse of office in court.
Attorney-General and COC member Graham Leung announced that Qiliho’s resignation makes the tribunal unnecessary. He stated, “Mr Qiliho’s resignation creates a vacancy in the substantive position, allowing us to move forward with advertising the role. We couldn’t proceed earlier as he was still the substantive post holder despite his conviction.”
Potential candidates for the Commissioner of Police position include United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security Unaisi Vuniwaqa, former senior police officers Luke Navela and Rusiate Tudravu, and Acting Commissioner of Police Juki Fong-Chew.