Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has stated that suspended Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Christopher Pryde is entitled to receive his salary until he is officially removed from his position. This statement was in response to a letter from Pryde to New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, in which Pryde claimed that his salary and contractual benefits had been stopped.
Pryde was suspended on April 13, 2023, following a complaint of alleged misconduct. Rabuka mentioned that he would consult with the relevant authorities to ensure that Pryde receives his due salary as per legal entitlements until his removal from office.
In his five-page letter to Peters, Pryde detailed “grave injustices” he has endured from the Fijian Government, including the cessation of his salary. The suspension resulted from Pryde being seen with former attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum at an official function in February last year, while Sayed-Khaiyum was under investigation.
The complaint against Pryde was made by former attorney-general Siromi Turaga to the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), noting Pryde’s interaction with Sayed-Khaiyum when a police file on him was with the DPP’s office. Pryde asserted that Turaga initially suggested that an apology would resolve the issue, but his apology was later used as evidence against him.
Additionally, Pryde’s letter criticized the conduct of former acting DPP John Rabuku, resident Magistrate Seini Puamau, and acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo. He urged New Zealand to take note of the recent actions of the Fijian Government.