Opposition Member of Parliament Faiyaz Koya has criticized Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Communications, Manoa Kamikamica, for prematurely presenting an Investigation Report on Walesi PTE Limited to Parliament. Koya claimed that this disclosure was inappropriate since the government had plans to refer the findings to the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC).
In a statement, Koya explained that the Opposition was unable to respond to Kamikamica’s Ministerial Statement effectively, as they were not informed about the report prior to its presentation. He suggested that if the findings were meant for FICAC, the government should not have publicized them in Parliament, viewing the matter as a political grandstanding exercise rather than a serious issue to be deliberated by lawmakers.
Moreover, Koya expressed his concerns about the fairness of the situation, stating that the Opposition was at a disadvantage because they had not seen the report. He argued that it would have been more appropriate for Kamikamica to withhold the statement to emphasize that the issue was under FICAC’s jurisdiction.
In a subsequent development, FICAC confirmed that it had received the file from Kamikamica. The Commission’s Commissioner, Barbara Malimali, revealed that a special task force had been created to investigate the situation, particularly in light of the findings from the Special Audit Report by the Office of Auditor General. This report highlighted that the government allocated $123.6 million for the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Project and the operations of Walesi PTE Limited from 2015 to 2022.
This situation emphasizes the importance of transparency and due process in governmental operations. Hopefully, the ongoing investigation will lead to greater accountability in the future and assure the public that such funds are managed responsibly. The establishment of a task force might also signify the government’s commitment to addressing public concerns regarding financial oversight.
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