Barbara Malimali, the chairwoman of the Electoral Commission, has been appointed as the new commissioner of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC). Although her appointment has not been formally announced, it has been confirmed that FICAC staff have been made aware of the change.
FICAC also reported that a raid was carried out at the Electoral Commission office recently, which is connected to a complaint against Malimali. When asked about the situation, acting Deputy Commissioner Francis Puleiwai acknowledged that Malimali had applied for the head position at FICAC but was unsuccessful.
“This investigation concerns our inquiry into Ms. Barbara Malimali,” Puleiwai stated, although she was unable to provide details regarding the complaint. She confirmed that the search at the office was related to the ongoing investigation into Malimali.
Inquiries directed to the Judicial Services Commission, as well as the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, went unanswered prior to the publication of this article. Puleiwai clarified that, while she had applied for the commissioner role, her application did not succeed.
She also dismissed claims that FICAC is under pressure from Cabinet Ministers being investigated. “There is no pressure from the Government to expedite matters, although investigations are still ongoing,” she remarked. Some issues being looked into have been referred by the Supervisor of Elections regarding the non-disclosure of assets.
According to Section 21 (3) of the Political Parties Act 2013, political parties and candidates are required to disclose complete details of all funds or resources they receive, including the source’s name and address.