The suspended Commissioner of Police, Sitiveni Qiliho, has announced his resignation, paving the way for appointing a new chief of police. The Constitutional Offices Commission (COC) received his resignation last Thursday, although the reasons behind his decision are not yet clear.
Qiliho was suspended on January 27, 2023, by President Ratu Willame Katonivere, following advice from the COC, as he faced allegations of misconduct. While awaiting a tribunal hearing, he continued to receive full pay.
On May 9, 2023, Qiliho was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison on abuse of office charges, alongside former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, who faced a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Qiliho’s conviction was related to directives he issued to stop an investigation concerning the University of the South Pacific back in July 2020.
Despite his conviction, the COC was still preparing to initiate a tribunal to address separate misconduct allegations. Qiliho is also facing additional abuse of office charges in court.
Attorney-General and COC member Graham Leung confirmed that Qiliho’s resignation makes the tribunal unnecessary. “Mr. Qiliho’s resignation creates a vacancy in the substantive position, allowing us to move forward with advertising the role,” Mr. Leung stated. “We couldn’t proceed earlier as he was still the substantive post holder despite his conviction.”
Potential candidates for the Commissioner of Police position include Unaisi Vuniwaqa, the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security, as well as former senior police officers Luke Navela and Rusiate Tudravu, and Acting Commissioner of Police Juki Fong-Chew.