Sitiveni Rabuka has developed a particular talent for distancing himself from any of the Coalition government’s successive disasters and “Barbara-gate” – the scandal at FICAC – is no exception.
As usual, it is everyone else’s fault but his own. “Shock, horror. I had no idea what was going on. Why didn’t anyone tell me? Now we’re going to have to have a formal inquiry into what happened to flush out the rot”. Oh really, PM?
As the head of government, the buck stops with Sitiveni Rabuka every time. He hasn’t earned the nickname “the Snake” for nothing. He has a unique propensity to try to wriggle out of his responsibility for the Coalition’s gross dysfunction but with “Barbara-gate”, he has arguably reached the end of the line.
How is he going to wriggle out of this? The old political tactic of setting up an inquiry isn’t going to work. The assault on FICAC, the removal of Francis Puleiwai and the installation of Coalition stooge Barbara Malimali is bad enough. But thwarting the laying of charges against Biman Prasad is a bridge too far. A pall of perceived corruption has descended on the Coalition that is destroying its remaining political capital. And Rabuka and the hardheads around him are starting to realise it.
This isn’t going to go away until Malimali is gone and Biman Prasad is put before the courts. The Prime Minister knows it. It’s just that he is too politically weak and lamusona (cowardly) to do it all himself. So we are getting an inquiry to buy time and keep the jackals off his back. And it will be for someone else or a group of individuals to make the decision for him.
Rabuka’s choice of the word “rot” to describe what has happened at FICAC is a rare flash of honesty. He is indicating that a whitewash isn’t an option, though of course that is still the most likely outcome. But how must the trio of Salesi Temo, Graham Leung and Siromi Turaga feel about the Prime Minister’s public suggestion that they have presided over a process that is rotten?
He has effectively cut them loose. Yet there’s an old saying that a fish rots from the head down. And however much he tries to dodge responsibility for this debacle, the rot in the government starts at the very top with Rabuka himself.
The Prime Minister’s announcement of an inquiry seems to be news to Barbara Malimali, judging from this story in the Fiji Sun.
UPDATE THURS AM:
The lead item on the national broadcaster, FBC, this morning – the Prime Minister acknowledging the “rot” within the system and suggesting that some individuals are “culpable”.
Does this include the Acting CJ and head of the JSC, Salesi Temo, who appointed Barbara Malmali? Does it include Graham Leung, the Attorney General, and Siromi Turaga, the Minister for Justice? And Biman Prasad, the principle beneficiary of the “coup” and state capture at FICAC?
Very intriguing. Or is this just the usual Rabuka blah, blah, blah to feed the media chooks.
Raising the spectre of rotten conduct in the state and talking about culpability in itself raises the expectation that certain individuals are going to be “taken to task”, to use the local vernacular. Precisely who is the big question. Or is the rot endemic? In which case it is high time for a fresh election.
Don’t forget the PM still holds the school boy record for the shot put thrown the highest directly upwards and then directly downwards onto his own head.
This record explains everything you need to know.
Graham,
This man is out of his depth and unfit to be PM let alone leading a country. His administration were so swift in suspending Pryde and why can’t the same rule apply to Malimali and seven other named individuals under investigation by the FICAC? The judiciary were also so swift to organise and put behind bars the previous prime minister and his police chief but so far has failed to do anything about their own seven corrupt officials facing potentially far more serious allegations than the ex-prime minister and his police chief, now locked up.
Setting up a Board of Inquiry, with terms of reference takes time, and incidentally, why there are differences of treatment being afforded to Malimali, who continues to be employed, paid in full, whereas poor Pryde, has been under suspension and without being remunerated. And, what about the other seven alleged perpetrators under investigation, why aren’t they are also suspended and having their salaries docked?
Meanwhile, the only other Fiji politician who deserved to form a government seems to be Mahendra Chowdery’s Fiji Labour Party. This present bunch of idiots in parliament are a useless lot from the PM down, and don’t deserve to be there.
Or is this just the usual Rabuka blah, blah, blah to feed the media chooks…..
Sir, yes sir! blah blah blah sounds about right.
Culpable people will be flushed out in terms of an inquiry eh, and taken to task to flush it all down the toilet.
The cleared culpable lot will then prepare magiti, ivakaraitaki ni tabua, mataganisau, tagi, tagi, lulu eke, lulu i kia, lulu vei va cake. Sa oti go na vakatataro dina.
Pray, more tears, before big kana vata in kalavata for only the kilavata. Wananavu!
Who’s the legal advisor to the government?
Answer this question and you have the culprit.
Clueless.
Graham Leung, as Attorney General, is the chief law officer of the state and the cabinet member with overall responsibility for the criminal justice system, including being the conduit to the Judicial Services Commission headed by the Acting Chief Justice, Salesi Temo.
They are the chief culprits in installing Barbara Malimali as FICAC Commissioner when as a vocal Coalition supporter, she isn’t remotely independent at all. To do so when they must have known that FICAC was about to charge Biman Prasad is the really rotten bit. Because it is tantamount to perverting the course of justice.
Formally, the government’s lawyer is the Solicitor General, Ropate Green Lomavatu, but he is a mediocrity and effectively a servant boy who does what he’s told.
I think the ideal persons to head this inquiry will be John Rabuku, the Acting Santa Claus, and the DPP. These people obviously have the ideal experience, qualifications, transparency, integrity and independence, not to mention the most celebrated people in their professions.
They will put the whole saga to bed with a great deal of professionalism. They are all iTaukei and they know best how to deal with this culturally sensitive situation. Just ask the PM.
If he was genuinely planning to “flush out the rot” then he would have done the decent thing by now: resign as the PM, advise the teletubby playing the role of the president to dissolve parliament and call from fresh elections.
But, he’s not going to do that because the blokes too busy enjoying the perks of high life.
Because, he don’t wanna go back to the re-cycle business again. Ever. He must remain for the full (fool) term to then collect pension.
The last time he left as PM, he took government property land cruiser 4WD.
This time, they’ll ALL walk away with government iPhones, laptops, all other government issued electronics plus coconut furniture, life time pensions based on INCREASED salaries, plus duty free cars bought on behalf of friends/relatives/kalavata/kilavata/lotu vata, heck , the mataqali.
With interest -free (18%) loans from FDB.
My guess is that this enquiry will be headed by R Naidu, S Temo and S Turaga.
Any takers!!!
This is just complete shambles. No matter how much lipstick you put on it, a pig is a pig.
Have been to fiji a few times in the recent years. It’s a very small country with a small land mass. Just how much wriggle room is left for these guys?
Come on the locals, have a say and protest for transparency and integrity within your government.
Good luck!
This fish has been rotten in the head for more than 37 years. What is unbelievable is that the people of Fiji love the bad smell and cannot get enough of it. But it is a unique Fiji thing. It’s to do with their culture and tradition.
How about Mahendra C calls for a protest march?
Enough is enough.
Yes, we have certainly come to that. That would test the government’s commitment to “freedom of expression”, wouldn’t it?
Where’s Shamima Ali and her women’s movement in all of this? Nowhere to be seen. They will take to the streets to support the Palestinians but as for an assault on the criminal justice system in Fiji, forget it.
And notice how quiet Imrana Jalal has become? She was all over the media calling for John Rabuku to step aside as Acting DPP. But now that her life-long friend, Graham Leung, is AG, total silence.
The same goes for the Fiji Law Society whose President, Wylie Clarke, is representing Barbara Malimali. A shocking conflict of interest that accounts for the silence from that lot.
As for Richard Naidu, the less said the better. He is at the heart of this assault on the integrity of the criminal justice system as Biman Prasad’s principal defender and is little short of a disgrace.
Notice that Naidu hasn’t had a column in the Fiji Times for six weeks? He would have to say something if he did but seemingly cannot publicly defend what is happening. And the fact that the crook and fugitive, Mac Patel, appears to have replaced Richard Naidu as a columnist at the Fiji Times pretty much says it all.
They used to protest about the excesses of FijiFirst. Compared with this rabble, Frank and Aiyaz at least brought stability to government. But it is shocking how the chronically self-righteous, self-important legal glitterati and “human rights” advocates have all lost their voices to speak up in the public interest about the Coalition’s excesses.
We have genuinely been betrayed by them, as well as their patrons and friends in government.
Everyone gotta keep quiet or Babs will get them. They have all treated Babs badly over the years and now she is in charge with power they gotta be quiet. Fiji is small place and everyone has to stay in line. This is why voices all gone small. More to lose if this lot crashes as they have been part of it.
A lot of Fiji Indians were against Muslims last election. Islamophobia was rife.
The same Fiji Indians are now in their holes and quiet as. They don’t know what hit them.
Well here is your Snake god given gift. Start worshipping him. The god that raped our women.
The ones who were drumming for NFP and PAP cannot be trusted ever.
Absolutely right this was a fight played between the saffron clad gang and the the followers of the prophet. The religious politics played behind the curtains was so subtly played and under the cover of democracy and to deliver us from the two dictators ended so well for the Indians that they went into hiding. Most of that saffron brigade should be rubbing their faces in cow dung considering they lent their support to the very man who destroyed fiji in 1987 and relegated Indians to second class citizen’s.
Well the voters chose credentials that is very much misleading over politicians who really walk the talk,so what else do we expect…. CORRUPTION!
GD, leading up to elections 2 years or less from now, please consider blow torching other Ministers too like Health, Agriculture, Sports, Local Government etc. who have hardly been exposed in GS. Likely they too are having fun with their share of corruption, just like their Leader. Whistleblowers will be ready to answer your call and voters would be much better informed before the next ballot. Am sincerely regretting my 2022 PAP vote, sobo sobo, we have been deceived outrageously.
On the basis that “a fish rots from the head down”, I have been deliberately concentrating my efforts on the leadership and the cabal mounting the assault on the institutions of state.
Doubtless these other ministers deserve attention but it is those at the top who are ultimately responsible for the whole sorry pantomime. Please message me of you have specific allegations of wrongdoing.
With the calls by Mahen C for Malimali to be stood aside until charges against her are resolved, I believe that Sashi Kiran, the chief apologist for the government should apologise profusely on behalf of the vulagi for asking for the FICAC saga to be sorted. Sashi knows that the vulagi are a minority and they should know ther rightful place and for them to be calling for action on this saga is unforgiveable. So an apology is in order and Sashi should start getting the sevusevu ready on behalf of the vulagi and perform the traditional service with a fancy traditional name.
Sashi knows very well that she and her fellow vulagis are guests in this land and they should be thankful and grateful for the place given to them instead of causing trouble. The people whose land this is should be able to do whatever they wish their way and if the vulagi get in the way they should apologise. So Sashi, please apologise.
As I said in an earlier post calling an inquiry is the standard answer for a Government who can’t or won’t act.
The inquiry terms of reference will be decided by the Government, they will chose who conducts it and when to report.
If they were serious the inquiry will conducted by ‘outsiders’ which won’t happen. The terms of reference will ‘whitewash’ the actions of this Government, they don’t want the likes of the AG, the Minister for Justice or the A/CJ to be found to have acted poorly or with bias. When will the inquiry report? At a time convenient to Government.
I will bet now their appointees and Ministers will be exonerated and it will all be the fault of the previous government.
The reputation of Fiji and its Government is already suffering and the FICAC mess is making it worse!
Wouldn’t it be pretty easy to manufacture a resignation letter? The PM says having it will put speculation to rest. Must call for independent inquiry.
Even if she had resigned, what about someone who is under investigation by FICAC taking employment at FICAC.
And why is the Police Commissioner not mentioning the police report that was already filed against Malimali but he’s mentioning the one against Pulewai?
The police in Fiji is really messed up. Please report the first report Chew!!!
Now that Wylie Clark is defending Malimali does that mean he cannot be questioned? Birds of a feather flock together. We know where his loyalties lie and it’s not in truth and integrity.
Is the PM wearing lipshite. Or are those lips red from all the lying and bs.
It’s highly doubtful Rabuka has any intention of flushing out the rot. It’ll be more about stirring the rot around to muddy the waters so he somehow comes out cleaner. This will be a whitewash to ensure the whistleblower is scapegoated.
Why would the leaders care. We the people are giving them a hefty salary without demanding accountability. So here we are. An unaccountable government which knows that no matter what it does, its ministers will still get paid 200000 plus Fijian dollars, and all other perks that come with the position. The media is yet to mature in our democracy. They too are all about profits before people. If they would do their job well, and keep the government to account, we will have a thriving democracy, where we the people demand from our leaders for good governance and leadership. I don’t think we the people, understand our own power.
https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/president-grants-speight-pardon/
And what about the shock and horror of George Speight getting pardoned eh hahahahaha
Hi Gharam , what’s your opinion on the the release of George Speight and Shane Stevens…
“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—for ever.”
― George Orwell, 1984
“Now I will tell you the answer to my question. It is this. The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested in the good of others; we are interested solely in power, pure power. What pure power means you will understand presently. We are different from the oligarchies of the past in that we know what we are doing. All the others, even those who resembled ourselves, were cowards and hypocrites. The German Nazis and the Russian Communists came very close to us in their methods, but they never had the courage to recognize their own motives. They pretended, perhaps they even believed, that they had seized power unwillingly and for a limited time, and that just around the corner there lay a paradise where human beings would be free and equal. We are not like that. We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now you begin to understand me.”
― George Orwell, 1984