Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has indicated that he would not hesitate to demote his Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister, Biman Prasad, to the backbench if he faces charges from the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC). Prasad is currently under investigation by FICAC for allegedly failing to declare all of his assets, income, and liabilities before the previous election.
Rabuka referenced a similar situation where he demoted former Minister for Fisheries, Kalaveti Ravu, to the backbench. He noted that former Deputy FICAC Commissioner Francis Puleiwai, who unexpectedly resigned on Thursday, had authorized Prasad’s arrest on the same day.
Rabuka stated, “Yes, that is the standing procedure with me, and Professor Biman Prasad had already briefed me on the possibility. There is nothing executive about that; that’s what she has said to the media. It did not come to us that he had been arrested. As soon as he is arrested, it will come to me, and when he is charged, he will have to adhere to what is specified in the laws.”
In response, Prasad mentioned that the matter is now being handled by his lawyer and that he would refrain from making further comments. He emphasized, “My lawyers have been handling the complaint from the beginning, and they have communicated with FICAC, making it very clear that there is no basis for the allegation and no basis for charges. That’s where the matter ends for me, and I don’t wish to make any further comments.”
Fiji Sun attempted to contact the newly appointed FICAC Commissioner, Barbara Malimali, regarding whether she would review Prasad’s case, but she had not responded by the time of publication. Malimali is the second individual appointed to the role since its inception, following Rashmi Aslam, who became the first FICAC Commissioner in 2012.