The suspended Commissioner of Police, Sitiveni Qiliho, has officially resigned, paving the way for the appointment of a new police chief. The Constitutional Offices Commission (COC) received his resignation last Thursday, although the reasons for his departure have not been disclosed.
Qiliho was suspended on January 27, 2023, by President Ratu Willame Katonivere, following recommendations from the COC, amid allegations of misconduct. He had been receiving his full salary while waiting for a tribunal hearing regarding those allegations.
On May 9, 2023, Qiliho was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison for abuse of office, a case linked to his orders to halt an investigation into a University of the South Pacific issue in July 2020. His co-defendant, former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, faced charges for attempting to obstruct justice.
Even with his conviction, the COC was ready to initiate a tribunal to address separate misconduct allegations against Qiliho. He is also facing an additional charge of abuse of office in court.
Attorney-General and COC member Graham Leung stated that Qiliho’s resignation makes the tribunal unnecessary. Leung remarked, “Mr Qiliho’s resignation creates a vacancy in the substantive position, allowing us to move forward with advertising the role. 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 United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security Unaisi Vuniwaqa, former senior police officers Luke Navela and Rusiate Tudravu, as well as Acting Commissioner of Police Juki Fong-Chew.