Since February 1 – 15 days ago – Grubsheet has been reporting that the Judicial Services Commission has the power to suspend Barbara Malimali as FICAC Commissioner and we have repeated this in several articles since. But it has taken all this time for the dullards at Butt Street to tell the Fijian people the same thing even though it has been staring them right in the face.
To report the opinion of the New Zealand Kings Counsel, Professor Philip Joseph, that the Chief Justice, Salesi Temo, has the legal authority to a suspend Malimali as a “bombshell” just goes to show how pathetic the Fiji Times is as a media outlet of any consequence and credibility.
Any journalist could have gone to Section 44 of the Interpretation Act to see that Justice Temo’s claim that he didn’t have the legal right to suspend the FICAC Commissioner was a lie. He most certainly does have the right and it has been there in black and white all along. It’s just that he has chosen to ignore it in yet another sign of Temo’s unfitness to sit at the apex of the judiciary.
Why is it that Grubsheet and Fijileaks can see the bleeding obvious but not the Fiji Times and almost the entire Fijian mainstream media? Go figure, Fiji. But you are wasting your $1.80 buying this rubbish every day or the $60 every three months the diaspora has to pay to access this rag online.
Pathetic.
We first reported the “bombshell” on February 1.
And the following day – February 2 – we published the letter from the Commission of Inquiry to the Chief Justice telling him precisely what the law says that made him a liar in saying that he couldn’t suspend the FICAC Commissioner.
How is it that we can get this material from far-off Sydney yet the Fiji Times can’t get it with all its contacts from Butt Street in the heart of Suva? Or does it get it and sit on it so as not to displease the Chief Justice and his patrons in the Coalition?
And having published original source documents ourselves, why didn’t the Fiji Times pick up what was in the Grubsheet story? They are the actual letters so there is no need to take our word for what they contain.
The owners of the Fiji Times are conspiring with the establishment against their readers. And as Grubsheet reported earlier today, those owners, the Motibhai Patel family of Ba, are unfit to hold the title and should be stripped of it by an incoming government.
This farce has gone on long enough. “The first newspaper published in the world every day” is chronically way behind the times and corruptly manipulates the news to suit the agenda of its proprietor.
POSTSCRIPT:
Does anyone know if the reporter, Jake Wise, is related to Margaret Wise, the Fiji Times reporter whose affair with Sitiveni Rabuka in the 1990s prompted accusations of “skirt journalism” at the paper?
Is he perchance the Prime Minister’s son?
Isa, vinaka, vinaka, vinaka sara vakalevu Graham for continually unmasking the hidden agendas of this entire lot. Or else, we would be wishing for the elections to be held as late as possible.
The media has simply failed us, the people, especially that member of the Fourth Estate which brags itself daily as “Your Voice Since 1869”. Mac’s team should boldly rebrand themselves as “My Voice since 1869”. And by the way, listening to those statements coming out of last week’s Pacific Media Partnership Conference was disgusting and nauseating given the state of play in our national media industry.
Last but not least, I am among those looking forward to the confirmation, or otherWISE, of Jake Wise s/o Sitiveni Rabuka.
GD
The following examples will show how nasty and vindictive this vile looking Mr Justice Temo is. He was solely responsible for imprisoning the ex-prime minister, Bainimaram despite a lower court’s decision not to punish him. He then overuled the lower court’s judgment and on his own volition, acting vindictively and giving a term of imprisonment to the ex-PM.
In another case, Temo acted as the judge, jury and executioner against Christoper Pryde – vis-a-vis, he filed one of the complaint, gave evidence against at the Tribunal with a view to finding Pryde guilty. When Pryde was exonerated, the Temo’s gang of untouchables went on a further crusade and vendetta to victimise Pryde’s reinstatement and return, and making his life miserable.
If I am not mistaken, whilst Temo was acting Chief Justice, Bainimaram’s lawyers had made complaints and filed cases against Temo in the superior courts regarding his behaviour and conduct when adjudicating case management and hearings. One of the complaints against him was that he was biased and ought to have recused himself at a hearing. He never did that. But despite being an acting Chief Justice, and there were complaints about him in the background the Prime Minister promoted him to the Chief Justice.
Graham, in my opinion, they all are in cahoots with each other, the nasty ethno-nationalist racist pigs!
Despite all of this and the enormous waste of taxpayer dollars, Temo and his crooked bunch will simply turn a blind eye to this.
Rabuka will crawl back into his orifice, stating he can’t make any comments or decisions by the JSC, which he claims is an independent body.
This is all a farce and money is being wasted to pretend to show the public the government is serious about getting rid of Malimali.
Interesting time. Let’s see the reactions of the PM and the President and whether they direct Temo to suspend Malimali.
If Temo persists and still doesn’t suspend Malimali, it will be insubordination.
All eyes will be on the Justice Lewis’s final verdict. It looks like he must have enough evidence to declare that Malimali’s appointment was not done properly, and therefore, all actions taken by Malimali as FICAC Commissioner should be null and void. I am sure he would make a determination on the conduct of Temo, JSC, AG, and others.
The big issue is whether the president will take the recommended actions and make the COI report public ?
Why would be insubordination? That is an opinion and the commission of inquiry is only tasked with doing an inquiry. They can only request suspension or termination but it is a request, not an order.
None of what has gone on will be subject to scrutiny or be overturned or carried out as it should have been or, following rulings, will be carried out now.
There will be meetings going on behind closed doors to plan the next move to thwart good and sound legal opinions that these guys see only as a hiccup in their advance towards victory.
This is like a very slow chess game where one of the players can spend as much time as they want ruminating over their next move, and will continue to do so until they find a move that will win the game.
How much do you bet that the advice of KC will be ignored and they will do as they please?
Why was a NZ KC engaged rather than a local constitutional lawyer apart from issue of bias? Or, is it just money that they all seem to want to waste?
A local constitutional lawyer? Who? There is no-one of the calibre of Professor Joseph, who is one of New Zealand’s leading experts. But, yes, there was no need to spend $15,000 to be told the bleeding obvious, what is there in black and white in Fijian law but the rogue Chief Justice simply ignores.
What WAS needed was for Salesi Temo’s ignorance and arrogance to be exposed, not just in Fiji but NZ and the rest of the region. Will they take any notice? Who knows? Probably not. But if they ignore the advice it will be yet another nail in the coffin of his credibility and theirs – a very big nail. So as far as I’m concerned, it has been money well spent and worth every saqamoli.
Salesi Temo must be removed as a matter of urgency. But that will only happen when it becomes a political imperative for the Coalition because enough Fijians rebel against his conduct and demand his removal for it to be an issue in the election lead-up. When Sitiveni Rabuka realises he is losing votes and not just credibility, that’s when he will act.
I get your points Graham but again I really don’t think it will make a difference. Things will remain the same with no respect for the law or any rulings until there is a change of Govt
@ Amused
Are there any KC’s in Fiji?
Or should we have engaged Jon Apted…Richard “Fiji Water”Naidu, as local counsels you suggest?
They parade as if they know it all. Or are they only good being celebrities. All surprisingly quiet.
Jon Apted and Richard Naidu, the two “most independent” and “most unprejudiced” (is there such a word) and “non-self serving”, “prominent lawyers” in the country.
Yeah, that would make the place have very “high standards” – much higher than it already has.
They both will never make it to KC, because they both are already “kaisi”.
Perhaps that day will soon come but not here yet. Plus our present practice standards would need a robust milieu. It also helps if we have quality peerage at the Bar and Bench for a start. It will help in shaping practitioners towards this attainment.
Its hard to know whether to laugh at the situation or feel sad about it.
One one hand the stupidity is so bad that it’s hard to believe the levels.
On the other side, it’s the destruction of trust, and the future of our people by the clowns in power.
The ignorance and arrogance of these ethno-nationalist’s may very well be known to the diplomats in the NZ and Australian High Commissions.
These two “big brothers ” continue their behaviour of appeasing Rabuka and his close circle(s)..and so have ignored the racism these louts are openly displaying to the world.
And it has nothing to do with the flimsy excuse of not interfering in Fiji’s domestic affairs.
With all that’s going on in the country, including in the Judiciary, the influence communist China is having to cement their place in Fiji in the geo-politics game being played out, surely it must be of concern to Australia and NZ.
I wonder if India is keeping its eyes open against the racism being perpetrated against the IndoFijians and other minorities as well.
Meantime the military madman is away in Germany to show off his army tie and medals!!
Hey mate, which rock have you been living under?
NZ and the US now have nationalist governments and Australia will follow soon.
White Australians are fed up of now having to “spot the Aussie” everywhere as they’ve been overtaken first by the Asians, Greeks and Lebanese in the 80s and 90s and then lately by the SE Asians from India, Pakis, Lankans and Deshis.
So, it’s not just Fiji mate where everyone is trying to save their little paradise.
A 15000 dollar opinion.
Just imagine how much lamb chops could have been bought for 15000.
M just sitting here thinking.
The problem with the JSC and this current government is their selective application of the law where it suits them !
Idiots and criminals !
Neither the King, the Kings legal counsel or chief stable hand can make the Horse (JSC / CJ S Temo etc) drink water that it doesn’t want to.
How high up the hierarchy does this need to go? Who is above the King.
Perhaps it’s time to call in the Royal Veterinarian …when the horse becomes a danger to itself and its masters.
Guess who tells BM not to resign?? Prem Shekhar the woman from USP Statham Campus. Every day Mon-Fri PDLP students are witnessing what happens and types of conversation going on in Prem’s office when BM goes in. Prem, she is known for her nagata ways. Good in useing staffs, and gossiping behind their backs.
Prem, hope she remember the blue rug in old mail room of USP where she used to roll over with a former senior lecturer residing abroad now. She can’t even dress properly. From top 3 different sizes, and says she is a a very religious person but continues to sele everyone whom she regards as a threat. Wait there. Kalou sa Raica. God is watching.
GD vinaka vakakevu for giving us the opportunity to comment on your posts. Truth and facts and we will continue commenting till justice is served.
-So Prem used to roll over on the carpet with other lecturer, ummh? How many more influentials has she rolled to manipulate and end up on top? And she is religious or an insult to our religion to say aree bhagwan when it is all over.
– B Malix2 would go swimimg in the sea late in the night in Tuvalu to keep the judge happy so she could win the case? It makes sense if the case presiding judge need some heat after the late swim.
– The pedo-president with 15 yr old handicapped, innocent, helpless, iTaukei girl?
– Rambo, the messiah stud of 1987, (slithering snake of 2024) rolled how many? He even concedes himself children from extra mural affairs. No wonder he can not open his mouth now to control some the high profile ladies in the govt.
– then the bushy girl exposes to someone brushing on his face to show to her husband? Does this make sense? Is it because she knows Rambo can not take action or else she will expose it all?
– wasn’t that lawyer girl favoured for Board appointment by double dick Rich Naidu as a reward for blaming the past govt.? Bloody hell, who saved him from the lovo pit in 1987? It was a big mistake.
– is the story true about the baimaan ministers who force upon women for sexual favours to give them a seat in the party? Won’t it be better for such to go and roll in the prefered blue carpet at university with more readily available one?
I don’t know people. If these are all true, I am totally lost to understand if these can run our beloved country. Does anyone know a government anywhere else in the world that can compete with this bunch?
One thing I do know, their biggest concern is to change the 2013 constitution. This is the very constitution they have used to be in their positions. How ironical!
Sa raica no Kalou, sa mate ni Vanua.