The Commissioner of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), Barbara Malimali, has filed a police complaint against former acting deputy FICAC Commissioner Francis Pulewai. Acting Police Commissioner Juki Fong Chew confirmed this information last night.
The complaint stems from allegations of abuse of office, focusing on instances where Ms. Pulewai reportedly overstepped her authority while serving in that role. Ms. Malimali herself was arrested on her first day of work at FICAC, September 5.
The situation, referred to as the “Barbara-Gate” saga due to its political implications, has escalated to the government level. Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka hinted over the weekend at the possibility of a Board of Inquiry regarding the matter. Efforts to reach Ms. Malimali for comment were unsuccessful before this report was published. Ms. Pulewai has stated that she has not been informed of the complaint and noted that she left for Australia the week she resigned.
Last week, Prime Minister Rabuka indicated that he had not yet received a formal resignation letter from Ms. Malimali. However, he later confirmed on his official Facebook page, as Chair of the Constitutional Offices Commission (COC), that Ms. Malimali has resigned from her position as Chair of the Electoral Commission. He noted that he received confirmation of her resignation from the Solicitor-General via email on September 14.
Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica alleged that FICAC was politically influenced under the previous administration, denying that the current Coalition Government operates similarly. Kamikamica suggested that while FICAC may have strayed from its intended purpose, the Prime Minister’s call for an inquiry reflects on the organization’s past rather than the current leadership.
Opposition leaders, including G9 crossbenchers’ leader Ioane Naivalurua and Leader of Opposition Inia Seruiratu, backed the Prime Minister’s call for an inquiry as essential for good governance and urged him to pursue an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ms. Malimali’s appointment.
Fiji Law Society President Wylie Clarke stated that the decision to conduct such an inquiry remains with the Prime Minister.