Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has stated that suspended Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Christopher Pryde is entitled to his salary until he is officially removed from office. This statement came in response to a letter Pryde wrote to New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, in which he claimed his salary and benefits had been stopped.
Pryde was suspended on April 13, 2023, following an allegation of misconduct. Rabuka mentioned that he would discuss the salary matter with those responsible, asserting that Pryde is legally entitled to his pay until his office removal is formalized.
In his letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Peters, Pryde described significant injustices he has faced from the Fijian Government, including the halt of his salary. The suspension was linked to Pryde being seen with former attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum at an official function in February 2022, during an ongoing investigation into Sayed-Khaiyum.
Former attorney-general Siromi Turaga had filed a complaint with the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), citing that Pryde was seen conversing with Sayed-Khaiyum during a time when a police file on the latter was under review by the DPP’s office. Pryde claimed that Turaga had suggested resolving the matter with an apology, but his apology letter was later used against him in support of the complaint.
Pryde’s letter also voiced concerns over the conduct of former acting DPP John Rabuku, resident Magistrate Seini Puamau, and acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo. He urged that the Fijian Government’s actions should be a concern for New Zealand.