Christopher Pryde is preparing to return to Suva to resume his position as DPP after the belated release yesterday of the Tribunal Report finding him not guilty of misbehaviour. The report has sent shockwaves waves through the establishment but a great many Fijians have welcomed it as a much-needed reassurance that the rule of law has prevailed in extremely difficult circumstances.
For 15 days after the Tribunal judges headed by Justice Anare Tuilevuka handed their report to the President, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, on December 23, the President sat on its findings. Alone among the media pack*, Grubsheet first reported that Christopher Pryde had been exonerated six days later on December 29. But it took another nine days before Ratu Naiqama fulfilled his constitutional duty to release the Tribunal’s findings and restore the DPP to his position.
Why the delay? There is no doubt that there has been extreme consternation at the apex of the State about the findings considering the embarrassment of losing the case and especially in the light of the appalling treatment of Christopher Pryde personally – sidelined for the best part of two years on unsubstantiated charges of misbehaviour and branded in open court by the Chief Justice, Salesi Temo, as a thief.
Temo faces an extremely awkward meeting with the DPP when he returns to Suva. The Chief Justice has been humiliated, as has the former attorney general and now Minister for Justice, Siromi Turaga, who with Temo, engineered the attempt to remove Christopher Pryde. The three Tribunal judges have effectively ruled that Temo and Turaga were wrong and the DPP was right. And it is difficult to see how either of them can credibly survive for long, given the gravity of what they have done.
The injustice of the suspension itself in April 2023 was compounded by Salesi Temo when without informing the Tribunal judges who’d been appointed at the start of the year, he summarily suspended Christopher Pryde’s salary seven months ago, depriving him of his ability to defend himself when the Tribunal finally sat. The Chief Justice has perpetrated an act of extreme prejudice against a fellow officer of state and one way or another, he is going to have to account for it.
Yet in a further outrage, Temo claimed at the Tribunal hearing that the DPP had “stolen from the Fijian people” by paying himself superannuation that wasn’t authorised by the Judicial Services Commission. As the Tribunal judges have found in their ruling, those superannuation payments were legitimate and part of Christopher Pryde’s contract.
Where does that leave the CJ’s claim of theft? Blown to smithereens. And Salesi Temo faces not only having to apologise to the DPP on bended knee but the prospect of being sued for defamation. It is an open and shut case given the judicial ruling that Pryde isn’t a thief and was fully entitled to the superannuation payments that were signed off on by two successive presidents.
As well as potentially costing the State a great deal of money (assuming the State is prepared to indemnify the Chief Justice for his reckless defamation of the DPP), there may also be moves to have Salesi Temo suspended for misbehaviour himself for his disregard for the law and mishandling of the Pryde matter.
As for the Acting DPP, Nancy Tikoisuva, and her Deputy, John Rabuku, what awaits them when Christopher Pryde strides back into Gunu House carrying his famous “Keep Calm and Carry On” sign and reattaches it to the wall?
Sa bera ni macala as they in iTaukei – it isn’t clear. But they can be sure that Christopher Pryde – who has been substantive DPP all along, though suspended – will take a very dim view of their drunken behaviour at the last DPP’s Conference in his absence. His return is a nightmare for both of them.
It isn’t in Christopher Pryde’s nature to be personally vindictive and he is keen to get back to work at a time when the prosecution arm of the state has never been more important. The great news for the country is that he already has a warm personal and professional relationship with the new Police Commissioner, Rusiate Tudravu. Both men respect each other and can be expected to work closely together to tackle perhaps the nation’s greatest challenge – the worsening law and order situation.
It is also the end of political prosecutions in the ODPP, at least for as long as Christopher Pryde remains in the position. Pryde operates strictly by the book on the traditional premise that he will only prosecute if there is a reasonable chance of securing a conviction and whether that prosecution is in the public interest.
So the big positive for the Fijian people is that in the end, the Coalition has chosen to abide by the law and restore Christopher Pryde to his rightful position rather than trigger a constitutional crisis by ignoring the ruling of the Tribunal judges. And that the DPP and the new Police Commissioner – assisted by the senior New Zealand officers now embedded in the Force – can get down to tackling the law and order crisis head-on in an atmosphere of close cooperation and mutual resolve.
Yesterday was a great day for Fiji and anyone who believes in the rule of law. Although you wouldn’t know it from the grudging coverage of Christopher Pryde’s imminent return in some parts of the mainstream media. Having ignored a great many” stations of the cross” in the DPP’s agonising attempt to clear his name, the media can be expected to be sheepish or smarting but certain people simply can’t hide their prejudice against the DPP.
Some outlets today such as the Fiji Sun are giving the story proper coverage but incredibly, Vijay Narayan and his team at CFL-Fiji Village think that the DPP’s reinstatement isn’t as important as the prospect of a new X-ray machine at Savusavu Hospital.
Let’s hope that a new government in 2026 applies to same blowtorch to William Parkinson and his broadcast licences as the Motibhai Patel‘s ownership at the Fiji Times. Because they are both failing in their duty to uphold some of the most basic editorial standards of fair and unbiased reporting.
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Today’s front pages…
First the Fiji Sun coverage in detail…
Now far less comprehensive coverage in the Fiji Times...
And how CFL- Fiji Village is covering the story – by relegating it to second place.
No matter. It is very good news that Christopher Pryde is returning as DPP just as Rusiate Tudravu is set to take over the Police. The two already have a high regard for each other and can be expected to tackle the law and order crisis head on.
And both of them are going to need Christopher Pryde’s famous motto given the magnitude of the challenge they face.
NOTE:
The continual depiction of Grubsheet as “social media” is wrong. This is a news and opinion website that has been operating – off and on – for almost 15 years. And we routinely break stories that either aren’t in the mainstream media in Fiji or lead the rest of the media pack.
I very much appreciate the sentiments of those readers who have thanked me for my coverage of the Christopher Pryde saga. It is all in a day’s work – albeit unpaid – and I do this work in the national interest and to keep you informed.
I have also been convinced all along that Christopher Pryde was innocent of the charge against him and has always done his job as DPP as diligently as he can in very challenging circumstances. Certainly the contrast between him and those who have been at the ODPP in his absence is as stark as it could possibly be.
We look forward to a New Year in which Pryde and Rusiate Tudravu – plus the Kiwi officers around the new Police Commissioner led by Mike Bush – put their heads together to tackle the immense challenges the nation is facing in relation to law and order and the state of the criminal justice system. Because God knows we need help.
This is jubilation for Grubsheet, Well done mate! When other media outlets stopped covering the issue, you continued to fan the flame. Thus, Fiji’s new found credibility in adhering to the rule of law is credited to your professional etiquettes in journalism. With that being said, there is a concern that should be highlighted in how this whole shenanigans came to being. It boils down to the incompetence of the line minister, where all bucks must stop. The cost of cognitively limited strategic decision makers to the nation is gut wrenching because common sense is substituted with personal agendas. Unfortunately, the false consciousness in the same minister is manifested yet again in the recent case of our corrections services chief. The probability of the same scenario occurring again is ‘most likely’. That is our sad reality in Fiji.
Great outcome for Pryde, Grubsheet coverage definitely reached correct audience and ironically former AG Khaiyum releasing a statement on the 8th Jan and subsequently Sudden announcement that Pryde was reinstated left everyone stunned.
But the question remains, last 21 months since Pryde was missing from office, how many files has been destroyed In his absence?
There is a high possibility that govt reacted to Khaiyum’s post on FB. The primary indicators are: 1. Govt post about the tribunal outcome was published slightly more than an hour after Khaiyum’s FB post on the issue, in particular the constraints of the President as per the Constitution. 2. If govt had actually planned to make the outcome public, they would have had a press conference given the seriousness of the case. So their easiest getaway is govt page on FB! Those are indicators of chaos, being reactive to social media posts. Get a grip Office of PM! They definitely need a PS who actually knows Strategic Leadership – unfortunately, looking at the bio’s of most PS’s, they have never been in leadership positions, or experienced strategic leadership. A PhD on any particular field does not necessarily mean Leadership abilities & capabilities – major components of strategic leadership.
Any fool can have a PhD but no fool can be a successful leader.
Just ask Siromi and Temo who have brought the Judiciary and the rule of law into disrepute.
No wonder there is public distrust of Government.
Although this sorry saga has come to a conclusion, with a long overdue ruling in Mr Prydes case exonerating him from the trumped-up charges brought against him, it is a stark reminder of how people in high places can wage a war against someone, when and if they want to.
The tactics used to, firstly suspend him for an extended period, then suspend his salary are actions that are indicative of the depths that some in authority will stoop to to achieve their ends.
Then to try and bribe him to give in to the pressure that they had applied to try and break his spirit is unconscionable.
In more reasoned Countries his reinstatement would start a legal process to take a blowtorch to the perpetrators of this debacle and have them removed from the high office that they hold to make them accountable for their actions and make sure that this could not happen again.
However, this is Fiji, so we know that this will not happen, and the people responsible will not face any punishment whatsoever and will walk away as if nothing happened.
Until the people who caused this heinous act and are held to account for their misdeeds, this country will never move forward.
A great victory for Mr Pryde and the Rule of Law. This is what you get when you have strong independent members sitting in a Tribunal. A good day for Fiji. Welcome back Sir.
I am not going to say that I don’t celebrate each day on Grubsheet. I do. It is the only place I can raise my concerns and a voice without being told to go back to India, kulina, etc.
Thank you GD for upholding the rights and freedoms of those who speak here with much credibility to fair and just information. I know that even the local junior media workers read your posts everyday. Believe me they want to write like you but are censored on what they can produce.
I look forward to Pryde returning to work and carrying on calmly. Fiji needs leadership and a steady captain in the DPPs office and we need this very fast. The trust in the system has eroded.
I wish the DPP all the best.
We all wish the substantive all the best from the horror show put on by al dunderheads and lackeys in government at great expense to.the nation, both in monetary and credibility terms.
However, this is not over yet. There will be a fallout.
Shameless people like siromi, Snake slr, Temo, Leung, Malimali, Rabuku, Nancy, and the 10-odd ministers facing FICAC won’t meekly accept a defeat of this gravity. No. CP will return (if he does) to a hostile office and government.
CP is being lured (again) into a set up (trap). They will either arrest him and slap new (charge(s), or ask him to carry out outlandish orders.
And if indeed CP returns to Gunu house, he will be tasked with prosecuting….you guessed it, ASK and JVB.
The other scenario churning in sh×t for brains troupe is based on pure hope that CP will take his money and run. He has suffered enough.
Bottom line no one in the government, judiciary, and state house can be trusted as far as one can spit. They want him out and this time will find a way to fire him.
Of course CP is nobody’s fool.
You forget that the political outlook has been transformed. All that matters for Rabuka and the Coalition now is to try to get competitive again to win next year. And if they have any sense of self preservation, anything that gets in the way of that will be ruthlessly excised.
The public are not in the mood for more shenanigans from these idiots. The main game now is for Christopher Pryde, Rusiate Tudravu and the Kiwi and Aussies advisors in the police to get a grip on the law and order breakdown before it is too late.
Restored Pryde
Restored Pride
Restored Faith
No one is above the law.
I hope this serves as a reminder to the culprits sitting in the DPPs office now. Get your bags ready to be shipped out you morons.
Go get them Pryde.
We are backing you up all the way.
Now to Malimali.
GD, let’s put up a good fight to have the findings released.
Victor over at FijiLeaks.Com does not seem overly pleased with Pryde’s exoneration and reinstatement.
Not sure what beef he has with CP, but he covers the story while barely able to hide his dislike for the guy.
Victor has always had it in for Christopher Pryde. It is rooted in Victor’s mistaken belief that Christopher Pryde – as solicitor general and the govt’s lawyer – could have done something to block Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum from acting against Victor’s mates, Russell Hunter and Daniel Fatiaki.
The dear old thing has his peccadilloes. I notice that he has honed in on the criticism of Pryde by the Tribunal judges that he was speaking to the media during the proceedings. How else was he supposed to get his message across when Justice Temo had cut off his ability to defend himself and he wasn’t present at the hearing to put his side of the case?
I see Victor has indirectly had a go at me for attacking the President for sitting on the Tribunal’s findings. He can’t stand the fact that Chris has been reinstated. But there you are. It has happened and in the freezing wilds of Oxfordshire, the “Editor in Chief” of his one man operation just has to get used to the idea.
Pryde was on a super salary (by Fijian standards) for several years. He continued to get paid after his suspension.
It is difficult to fathom how he didn’t have the financial resources to defend himself. He didn’t need to hire Australian or NZ lawyers even….just Fijian lawyers at Fijian rates.
Or is Pryde also like the natives of Fiji…that is, spend everything on the same day and have nothing for the rainy day. Although it would so much more difficult to spend such a huge salary in Fiji.
What a ridiculous proposition. If you suddenly had your salary cut off, what financial position would you be in eight months later with mounting legal bills from an elite Fijian lawyer in the form of the British-trained Adish Narayan?
Like most people, Christopher Pryde has had a family to support. To suddenly cut off his salary unlawfully was designed to drive him broke and force him to resign. “Enough for a rainy day”? He’s clearly had enough for a “rainy day” because he still has a roof over his head. But not to finance a court case to defend himself against the State with no way of knowing how long it could go on and whether he could be certain of a just outcome.
Some people…
Preposterous, are you saving up your salary for a litigatory review in case you’re sacked?
Unless you are, I suspect you’re not very enlightened and are of the variety which tends to selectively apply the blowtorch to others.
Why do I get the feeling that you’re part of the intellectually-deprived Rabuka’s merry bunch of advisors?
Preposterous whatever you are smoking or injecting you should stop.
Suva is an expensive place right now to live in.
Especially if you are renting close to the CBD where the rental prices are ridiculous. Most likely it is where we can find Pryde renting and living. 8 months of renting and living in Suva CBD is quite expensive, no wonder as Pryde has a family to care of and cater for.
So his family came first and then second his legal case.
8 months of no pay and in Suva that is crazy and inhuman treatment who has been vindicated not to have broken the law.
As GD said that paying for legal representation is also very expensive.
Actually, Christopher Pryde has been with his family overseas for most of his suspension. The family home is in Christchurch NZ. So he still has a mortgage there and living expenses for himself, his wife and daughter that made it impossible for him to pay for his defence once his salary had been cut off.
I am amazed that people can’t understand his predicament. Imagine. If your salary had been cut off eight months ago, how would you be coping? At three and six months, maybe fine if you had sufficient savings. But then as the bills mounted, the DPP understandably hit a wall.
His wife doesn’t work outside the home and keeps the home fires burning while Christopher Pryde is in Suva. That is the sacrifice they make as a family for the DPP to serve the Fijian people. So only the most heartless person could fail to comprehend the burden cutting off his salary placed on Christopher Pryde and his family.
We know one thing for sure Fiji is a very rich country. It can easily afford:
Pay rise for government
Tax holidays for foreign company
Pay for DPP to stay at home and more pay for more DPPs
Inquiries into all bad decisions
Tourism PR disasters on weekly basis
Drug and HIV epidemic
We got a very sensible PM who knows a lot about shot put and coups that cost billions
And Cabinet will soon be “reshuffled”; actually it will be expanded. So more bills to pay in addition to the “only $8milliion”. All in the Coalition plus those cunning, shameless and selfish ex-FFP floor crossers are expected to be a Minister or Assistant Minister. That leaves us with just a sole backbencher, the Committee Chairperson who successfully got that monumental pay rise. Vinaka Lynda!
More $200,000+ (Ministers) and $120,000+ (Assistant Ministers) salaries for tax payers to pay for the expanded (not reshuffled Prime Minister, look up the definition) Cabinet of the soon to be newly appointed former FF nine MPs who jumped to the other side. National debt? What national debt? Budget deficit? What?! And “Coalition Government” no more.. or is it Coalition+? Bula 2025!
“Ah, the rule of law prevails, and the tribunal is truly independent—Fiji, you’ve done it! Light at the end of the tunnel, and this time it’s not just a generator flickering!”
Rabuku is a loser and here is another loss for the f**king shyte.
In fact Rabuka is a bigger loser and he will get his just desserts soon enough, the f*king dickhead.
No one has talked about the made up “evidence” with the Chief Santa Claus gave at the tribunal based on his twisted prejudice. What should happen to him and has the Tribunal said anything about the bullshit from the Chief Santa Claus?
Thank you GD for the disclosing truth with facts and figures. Jubliant news.
Welcome back Mr Pryde.
Graham, Thank you for persisting with this matter.
And what of Elizabeth Rice? Will CP dig into that for her reinstatement also?
Victor Lal is out of touch with Fiji. It’s time for the self appointed ‘editor in chief’ of the one man show, Fijileaks to put down the pen. Much of the time he is regurgitating the same, irrelevant old stuff he wrote many years ago. Fiji has moved on. Time for him to retire and enjoy life in his adopted home in London.
BZ CP
Great day for the rule of law in Fiji !! Graham thank you very much for your consistent and diligent media coverage. Thousands including myself only rely on you for unbiased coverage. Now turn that blow torch on Temo and the Barbs secret enquiry !
This outcome is fantastic! Unfortunately I don’t trust this lot as far as I can throw them. I think they are cooking up something so that the ruling is not implemented. The announcement was made out to necessity because of the constitution.
We need Chris back in office. Please do all that you can Graham to convince him to return.
He is returning as soon as possible.
A clown Show. But sometimes it’s great to be entertained by Darth Vader posing clowns.
Question is, why go back to that shithole? Back to the huge pile of … never mind. The huge mess that they have created. Now we see another inquiry against the Commissioner of Prisons. What’s wrong with that guy? Grab your back-pay and run, Mr Pryde! Run..and don’t look back. Let those idiots fix their own bloody mess!
Thank you GD for your persistent reporting on this important constitutional matter when the mainstream media in Fiji have almost forgotten (like in many other pending constitutional issues) the grave injustice brought by the Coalition government against CP.
You have indeed made our local journalists look amateurish, ineffective and incompetent with your investigative journalism standards.
The journalists in Fiji (well majority of them including their editors) should hang their heads in shame!
I no longer read the FT, FS, FBC, or CFL except if you make references to them in your reporting.
Thanks again GD and I look forward to reading more of your articles this year and leading up to the election in 2026.
I so look forward to the COI report against Barbara Malimali next. I know you will have the inside scoop of what would transpire inside those closed doors of the Supreme Court.
I wish you good health so we the people of Fiji could finally see some real resemblance of democracy before we disappear from the face of this earth.
The government claims that this inquiry cost them 80,000!
Wtaf do these guys smoke!
This inquiry was way more than 80,000 for sure.
This is a great victory, not just for Mr Pryde, but for the confidence, integrity and professionalism demonstrated by our own, home grown, local experts, in this case 3 distinguished judges who comprised the tribunal. They held their own and showed the courage to do what is right, as per their oath of allegiance and according to the law.
Of course they would have been aware that their findings and recommendations would have huge implications for people in positions of influence and who are part of the current ruling coalition. But they were not swayed and stuck to the fundamental tenets of truth, justice and impartiality.
We hope that the country appreciates the virtues and skills many of our home grown talents can bring to the integrity and standing of our nation.
We now await, with abated breath, the findings of the mainly expatriate FICAC Tribunal investigating the shenanigans in the watchdog.
Have just subjected myself to a marathon series about the Danes and Saxon in Britain set just prior to the establishment of England.
What soon became apparent and then absolutely bl**dy tedious and annoying was the principles in the drama nearly always not chopping of heads that deserved to have their heads chopped off. This decision always came back to haunt them, over and over.
The parallels that we are subjected to as a nation today in Fiji was not lost on me.
Just ponder on all the examples our PM has subjected himself and the people of Fiji because he can not chop heads off, figuratively of course. AR, LT, ST, …………………..
The electoral and representative system we are subject to completely and assuredly allows for, in fact designed for the PM and Party to discipline or sack a Parliamentary representative with minimum disruption to the nation by not requiring by-elections.
PM, the people and nation are subject to great harm with your weak leadership and the constant endless drama it causes. You have stated to a fellow politician that you have a problem with discipline, members of your cabinet are out of control.
What is your legacy ? Ethno nationalist control ? I am all for nationalism, since I consider myself a nationalist. Racism, big dead end . Provincialism , same basket of evil.
As I watched that drama, and with each passing episode, my comments became more acerbic to the chagrin of my wife.
By the end, we were both throwing epithets at the principles, like- idiot, moron, retard, brainless, twit, stupid
and advice, like – take his/her head off, hang the ……., run him through,
only to remind ourselves , its only a movie. hahaha.
We read Grubsheet, and think, what the hell, ……………….
Art imitating life, or life imitating art.
No escaping the chaos, created by the elite.
Seriously, I have been railing on about our failed representative system for a long time, and apart from a slight murmur from the Labour Party about strengthening , re-vitalizing their branches, nothing.
Our representative system is as about as mature as a kids lollie scramble.
Anyway, welcome Season 3, Episode 1. A good start, ……….quite a surprise.
Great analogy. Do tell where one can watch this series- Netflix?
Asking for a friend who owes me money.
I am just wondering how the dynamics will work when Mr. Pryde returns to the DPPs Office.
His immediate subordinates are the very people who wanted him out and some gave evidence against him.
So far Mr. Pryde has shown to be a true professional and I am hoping everything works well on his return and he carries his duties and that of the Office of the DPP functions well.
I cannot say the people he will be working with will accord him the same the support he needs.
These people have time and time again proven to be a bunch of hooligans not fit for the office.
He is now on notice to do his job properly. He will be forever be looking over his shoulder. . Better for him to collect his back pay, resign and say ni sa moce.
Agree. If this happened in Australia or anywhere else even in private enterprise, the person would resign with a severance package. I am not sure why CP would want to work in Fiji. Surely the law is much more interesting to work in elsewhere in the world, where you can actually get through to people. It’s too hard to do a job where the govt and senior officials do whatever the willy nilly want to.
Congratulations Christopher Pryde! Justice finally!
The question now is what is to happen to the Justice Minister Siromi Turaga, the original accuser, whose allegation held no substance and who is now embroiled in another controversy involving the head of Corrective Services. Perhaps the PM will finally realise this man is not competent enough and send him to join Lynda on the backbench.
The CJ, if he had any sense morality or integrity, would resign his position and leave the judiciary. His allegation was never creditable, and it took little evidence to prove it to be so. His administration of the JSC has shown him to also not be competent. He strikes me as being not able to amass and analyze evidence before acting, clearly demonstrated in his allegation of theft against Christopher Pryde.
It remains to be seen as to whether the exonerated DPP launches deformation actions against the CJ and possibly the Justice Minister.
Legal action by one senior government official holding high office against another holding high office would likely create more rancor and add to a more discordant and uncooperative environment.
The CJ and Siromi could claim the professional relatioship is untenable and guess who’ll be holding the short end of the spaghetti.
If CP resigned then sued for defamation we can bet the house CJ and his cronies will delay any proceeding until kingdom come.
You assume that these people can keep suffering damage to reputation when they are already held in mounting contempt.
The Chief Justice falsely claimed that the DPP is a thief after conspiring with Siromi Turaga as AG to remove an independent office of state on trumped up charges. It is they who are holding the short end of the spaghetti.
Any more ructions at the top and the Coalition – including the PAP – will face the wrath of the electorate next year. The Fijian people have had enough.
Yes all good for now…but opposition will be out to stab him again for something thing else…Fiji’s President and people in the justice leaders are a joke…it’s Batman and Joker saga going on…it’s like who’s has the bigger balls to do something right.
The Pryde report is out now and his salary will be reinstated. To be followed hopefully by the Malimali report, Tabuya report then Nakarawa’s, adding more salt to the Coalition’s longstanding open wounds. In the meantime, ex-SG Sharma is still waiting for his first saqamoli out of the $3m awarded to him by the High Court. Is the government dragging its feet here because he is a bhaiya? Or are they simply broke?
By the way, Rambo must be scratching his whatever wondering why did he rush gifting Temo with the CJ’s post last Xmas Eve.
Playmaker and Injustice Minister Turaga is still hanging in there, not wanting to part with his perks despite the increasingly heavy blows going his way.
Don’t we just love the Fiji media riding high on shoulders of journalists like yourself and Victor Lal.
As for our expedited CJ, this is only the beginning of his humiliation, together with that of Siromi as well as Choran J Singh and Bimaan Prasad.
Fijians can still hope for a better future that there are still people of principle and of ethical credibility within our society. For the past 2 years it seemed all has been lost. Now its time for the people to rise and hold this incompetent government by the neck and suffocate them come next elections.
We must continue to fan this recent air of enthusiasm for justice. Now on to removing the milamila that is spreading like a super fungus.
Rabuka should move Siromi to the backbench so part of his salary as a Minister would go to paying CP’s lost salary.
Merge the two ministries again (AG&Justice), remove the PS Justice and all the money wasted on this unnecessary suspension be restored again.
Come on Rabuka do that, you don’t have to be a genius to figure that out!
Congratulations to Mr Pryde, what a relief to finally get a verdict after all this drawn out painful lingering time it took for a conclusion and a verdict actually exonerating him, despite our worst fears of a kangaroo court predetermined outcome to find him guilty.
Well this specific case has demonstrated that you don’t need an overpaid top gun lawyer, why – not even a lawyer to defend yourself and still have an intelligent and unbiased set of adjudicators rule fairly in your favor.
The law society must be trembling at the potential loss of revenue, if the public came to realize that oratory, argument and analysis is not the sole and revered domain of solicitors and barristers!
Alas one swallow does not make a summer and I concede it would be a very brave defendant who would not splash out on the most expensive lawyer they could afford to get a verdict in their favour.
However I see it as a great positive demonstration in this particular case that should a person on $5 an hour not have been able to afford a top lawyer to “buy” quality justice for themselves , they still would have got a fair outcome – based on the merits and quality of the state prosecutors evidence rather than the persuasion of a convincing top lawyer.
Long may justice be equally available to all – rich or poor, common man or woman or a well know person in high office.
Interesting that a certain bush lawyer who has been convicted, and now lives in NZ, is busy looking for a needle in a haystack to bring down Pryde’s victory.
This is the same lawyer who continues to be critical of this site and it’s author. Despite this lawyers frequent criticisms of everything in Fiji, no suggestions are ever made to improve things nor is the lawyer interested in going back to assist; instead preferring to be an armchair critic with no methodical analysis.
To all of Pryde’s critics: let the man return and do his job. He has been cleared of all allegations and using the non-essential portions of the report to best your drum is pointless.
The day I care about what Rajend Chaudhry thinks about anything has yet to dawn. An anti-white racist who cowers in a predominantly white country and is not only a hypocrite but completely irrelevant. Choking on his own bile and one big yawn.
Chris needs to remind JSC to issue an order to Nancy that with his reinstatement, her Acting role is no longer in effect and she has to vacate the office of the DPP. Where is the President’s letter to Nancy that her Acting appointment has been revoked? Knowing the numbskulls at JSC they would be thinking Nancy remains Acting DPP until Chris is physically back in office.
From the date of Pryde’s reinstatement, Nancy can no longer sanction charges, or make any decisions that the DPP is constitutionally empowered to make. She has no authority. This must be conveyed to her immediately in writing. And Chris must demand that there are no shenanigans created by Nancy, Rabuku, Laisani and the lot. We all know what they are capable or.
The time for shenanigans has passed. Just as Nancy Tikoisuva had the independent authority on the say-so of the Chief Justice to appoint John Rabuku Deputy DPP without referring to anyone else, Christopher Pryde presumably has the authority to make whatever changes he sees fit. That being the case, the party is over. The Stallion will be crooning no more.
As numerous others have said Graham, vinaka vakalevu for your part in bringing the shameful party at ODPP to its close. But what a shame that no one is expected to be held accountable for this costly mess, and counting still after this totally incompetent Minister’s latest showdown with Nakarawa. Who’s next?
Pryde belongs in the scrap heap. Pryde was one of Khai’s main ball 🎱 wipers (Masi Polo) like the admin on here. Firing dissident people, prosecuting political opponents of the previous mob. Sipping cocktails and smoking cigars during the 16+ years of Bai and Khai’s rule, hobnobbing with the so called elite at the time. No shame whatsoever. Sharon Smith Johns, another Palagi masi polo squad member of the old regime, like this Graeme Leung Davies (pun intended) fella, another masi polo fellow. Pryde should have resigned when the govt changed. A political appointment (of the previous mob), if there ever was one. Wasn’t ashamed to continue getting paid an expat exorbitant salary, from the new lot. What a joke. Then has the audacity to cry me a river when suspended. F off mate. Go back to the hole whence you came.
It’s OK, mate. Let it out. I can understand your rage. The frustration of a loser. “pasifikaindigenous” is your email address. In other words, a blind indigenous nationalist. Writing from Australia, NZ or the US are we?
BTW, the “new lot” are paying themselves much more exorbitant salaries than their predecessors, having given themselves a 138 per cent pay hike. You natives really know how to live it up, eh? Now bugger off.
Admin – stop deleting comments that don’t agree with you. That is not open discourse and dialogue, or what you purport to strive for. You are just another Fiji Times, disliking dissenting voices… let me try this again.
Pryde belongs in the scrap heap. Pryde was one of Khai’s main ball ® wipers (Masi Polo) like the admin on here. Firing dissident people, prosecuting political opponents of the previous mob. Sipping cocktails and smoking cigars during the 16+ years of Bai and Khai’s rule, hobnobbing with the so called elite at the time. No shame whatsoever. Sharon Smith Johns, another Palagi masi polo squad member of the old regime, like this Graeme Leung Davies (pun intended) fella, another masi polo fellow. Pryde should have resigned when the govt changed. A political appointment (of the previous mob), if there ever was one. Wasn’t ashamed to continue getting paid an expat exorbitant salary, from the new lot. What a joke.
Then has the audacity to cry me a river when suspended. F off mate. Go back to the hole whence you came.
Hahaha. You really are a prize drop-kick. But do go on. Let it all out again “pasifikaindigenous”. Be my guest.