A defamation lawsuit may be forthcoming for former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry following his allegations against Finance Minister Biman Prasad. Chaudhry has urged the government to provide detailed accounts of expenditures for the 2023 Girmit celebration.
Chaudhry criticized Prasad, who is currently under investigation by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), for not disclosing details of the $500,000 allocated for the celebrations. He claimed nearly half of this amount went to an institute managed by Prasad’s wife and a political ally. Chaudhry pointed out this alleged misuse of funds following a lavish dinner at the Grand Pacific Hotel hosted by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka for government ministers and their spouses.
In his statement, Chaudhry also called attention to other government issues that he believes warrant public scrutiny, including an alleged drug and sex scandal involving two current cabinet ministers.
Responding to these accusations, Prasad said, “Mahendra Chaudhry is the biggest crook that I know. He was hiding $2 million in Australia and is a convicted criminal. He is the last person who should be talking.”
Prasad further added, “Why is he jumping around? Mahendra Chaudhry, a compulsive liar, is misrepresenting the Girmit funding approved by the Cabinet, which included Girmit celebrations and a conference. We’ll see him in court very soon for defamation and for lying about the whole issue.”