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 office.
Rabuka’s statement came in response to a letter written by Pryde to New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Winston Peters, in which Pryde alleged that his salary and contractual benefits had been halted.
Pryde was suspended on April 13, 2023, following a complaint of alleged misconduct related to his attendance at an official function in February the previous year with former attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, who was under investigation at the time.
Rabuka mentioned that he would be consulting with the relevant authorities handling Pryde’s salary to confirm that legally, Pryde is entitled to his salary until his removal from office is finalized.
In a five-page letter to Peters, Pryde outlined the “grave injustices” he believed he experienced from the Fijian Government, including the cessation of his salary. He claimed that former attorney-general Siromi Turaga had filed a complaint with the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), citing an incident where Pryde was seen conversing with Sayed-Khaiyum at a social function while a police file on Sayed-Khaiyum had been sent to the DPP’s office.
Pryde asserted that Turaga had previously spoken to him about the matter, suggesting that an apology might resolve the issue. However, Pryde claimed that his apology letter was subsequently used as evidence in support of Turaga’s complaint.
Additionally, Pryde’s letter raised concerns about the conduct of former acting DPP John Rabuku, resident Magistrate Seini Puamau, and acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo. He expressed that the recent actions of the Fijian Government should be a concern for New Zealand.