The suspended Commissioner of Police, Sitiveni Qiliho, has officially resigned, paving the way for the appointment of a new police chief. His resignation, submitted to the Constitutional Offices Commission (COC) last Thursday, comes without any clarity regarding the reasons behind this decision.
Qiliho was suspended on January 27, 2023, by President Ratu Willame Katonivere, following advice from the COC, amid allegations of misconduct. Despite the suspension, Qiliho continued to receive his full salary while awaiting 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 faced charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Qiliho’s conviction was related to directives he issued to stop an investigation involving the University of the South Pacific in July 2020.
Even after his conviction, the COC was preparing to convene a tribunal to address distinct misconduct allegations that were not tied to the charges he faced. Additionally, Qiliho is dealing with another abuse of office charge currently in court.
Attorney-General and COC member Graham Leung stated that Qiliho’s resignation makes the tribunal unnecessary. He noted, “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 role of Commissioner of Police include Unaisi Vuniwaqa, the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security, former senior officers Luke Navela and Rusiate Tudravu, and the Acting Commissioner of Police, Juki Fong-Chew.