The Commissioner of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), Barbara Malimali, has filed a police complaint against Francis Pulewai, the former acting deputy commissioner. Acting Commissioner of Police Juki Fong Chew confirmed the complaint, which involves allegations of abuse of office linked to Ms. Pulewai’s purported overreach of authority during her tenure.
On her first day in office, September 5, Ms. Malimali was arrested at FICAC headquarters. This incident, referred to as the Barbara-Gate saga due to its political implications, has attracted attention at high levels of government, with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka suggesting the possibility of a Board of Inquiry.
Attempts to reach Ms. Malimali for comments yielded no response, while Ms. Pulewai indicated she had not yet been informed of the complaint. Following her resignation, she traveled to Australia.
Prime Minister Rabuka mentioned earlier that he had not yet received a formal resignation letter from Ms. Malimali. However, on his official Facebook page, he later confirmed her resignation from the Chair of the Electoral Commission, citing an email he received from the Solicitor-General at 8:17 AM on September 14.
Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica suggested that FICAC had previously operated under political pressures from the former government but asserted that the current Coalition Government has not engaged in similar practices. He supported the Prime Minister’s call for an inquiry regarding FICAC’s operations over the past eight years.
Opposition MPs expressed their support for the inquiry, with G9 crossbenchers leader Ioane Naivalurua stating that it would contribute to good governance, and Leader of the Opposition Inia Seruiratu urging the Prime Minister to proceed with investigating the circumstances surrounding Ms. Malimali’s appointment.
Fiji Law Society president Wylie Clarke emphasized that the decision regarding the inquiry rests solely with the Prime Minister.