Former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry may face a defamation lawsuit following his allegations against Minister for Finance Biman Prasad. These allegations came after Chaudhry called on the Government to provide detailed accounts of the 2023 Girmit celebration expenditures.
Chaudhry claimed that the finance minister, who is under investigation by the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC), has not provided detailed accounts for the $500,000 allocated for the 2023 Girmit celebrations. He stated that almost half of this amount was given to a discredited institute led by Prasad’s wife and a political ally.
Chaudhry made these comments after criticizing a ‘lavish’ dinner hosted by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka at the Grand Pacific Hotel for Government Ministers, assistant Ministers, and their spouses. In his statement, Chaudhry addressed what he believes are significant operational flaws within the Government that require public attention. This includes alleged scandals involving two ministers who remain in Cabinet.
Minister Prasad responded to Chaudhry’s comments by accusing him of being dishonest, referencing Chaudhry’s past financial misconduct. Prasad called Chaudhry a “compulsive liar” and accused him of misinforming the public about the Girmit funding. He stated that the Girmit celebration had two funding components: celebration and conference, and warned of impending legal action against Chaudhry for defamation and misinformation.
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