A member of the GRACE Road Church, who recently escaped from True Mart in Navua, is raising serious allegations regarding the conduct of officials from the Fiji Immigration Department. She claims that certain officials were “paid off to look the other way” as her husband and children left the country under questionable circumstances.
The woman, speaking out to the media, shared that her four-year-old daughter, who is not a citizen of Fiji, was granted an emergency Fijian passport. She expressed her disbelief that her husband was permitted to leave the nation even though his visa had expired years prior. “Someone in Fiji Immigration was paid off to look the other way while the father illegally and internationally kidnapped two innocent children,” she stated.
Furthermore, she mentioned that her husband had reportedly obtained a one-day passport for their daughter, who had been unregistered since birth. “Somehow, she miraculously got a Fijian passport in literally one day and they flew out,” she added. The mother highlights concerns regarding her husband’s financial capability, implying that he could not have managed this without outside assistance, given his position as a purchasing officer for the organization’s restaurants and shops.
The woman has expressed her determination to reclaim her children and restore their lives to normalcy. In response to these troubling assertions, Fiji’s Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration, Pio Tikoduadua, has publicly announced a letter to the Prime Minister, offering to step down while investigations into the unauthorized passport issuance are conducted. He expressed that the issuance of passports occurred without his knowledge, as well as that of the Immigration permanent secretary, Mason Smith.
Acting Police Commissioner Jukie Chew Fong is leading an investigation, which will determine whether the Fiji Police Force or the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption will take the lead in looking into this case. Meanwhile, inquiries directed to the Grace Road Group have gone unanswered.
This situation sheds light on significant concerns regarding oversight within the Fiji Immigration Department and underscores the need for rigorous accountability in government procedures. The hope remains that the ongoing investigations will clarify this case and ensure justice for all involved, particularly the children affected by this troubling incident.
While the road ahead appears challenging, the commitment to rectify these issues shows a positive step towards upholding integrity in governmental processes and restoring faith within the community.
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