The suspended Commissioner of Police, Sitiveni Qiliho, has officially resigned, paving the way for the appointment of a new chief officer. The Constitutional Offices Commission (COC) acknowledged Qiliho’s resignation last Thursday, although the motives behind his departure remain unclear.
Qiliho, who was suspended on January 27, 2023, by President Ratu Willame Katonivere upon the COC’s recommendation, was facing allegations of misconduct. He had been receiving a full salary while awaiting a tribunal hearing.
On May 9, 2023, Qiliho was found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison for abuse of office, along with former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, who faced a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Qiliho’s conviction was related to his directives to halt an investigation into a University of the South Pacific issue in July 2020.
Despite his conviction, the COC had been preparing to move forward with a tribunal to address separate misconduct allegations unrelated to the charges that led to his conviction. Additionally, Qiliho faces another abuse of office charge currently in court.
Graham Leung, the Attorney-General and a member of the COC, 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,” stated Leung. “We couldn’t proceed earlier as he was still the substantive post holder despite his conviction.”
Potential candidates for the role of Commissioner of Police include United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security Unaisi Vuniwaqa, former senior police officers Luke Navela and Rusiate Tudravu, and Acting Commissioner of Police Juki Fong-Chew.