We’re giving Fiji’s 55 members of parliament the opportunity here to declare whether they have cheated those who put them there – the nation’s voters – by claiming per diem expenses for travel when it has already been paid for by their hosts.
Grubsheet will soon be revealing widespread abuse of the law that prevents MPs from double-dipping. And sadly, it appears that many, if not most, of our elected representatives may be breaking that law.
If you are not, please tells us in the comments section below. Your declaration will be included in our upcoming report. Please also tells us what you know about the abuse of the system that is now coming to light.
It is your chance to claim the high moral ground before the blowtorch is applied and we reveal a national scandal that in any other country, would bring down the government and lead to criminal charges being laid.
Vinaka.
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Coming soon… the fat cats taking us all for another ride on top of the shocking pay rises and increased benefits they awarded themselves 18 months ago.
None of them have double dipped!!! They are all God-fearing Christians and pray and fast and go to church. They were actually appointed by God. It is not me saying it – ask them.
They would never do such things, it is not in their tradition and culture. Fiji is a unique place and do things differently as we all see in the judiciary and the COI. The PM knows exactly what to do and how to do it, that is why the people of Fiji can not get enough of him after 40 years.
They are there to serve…………….themselves.
It is all very twisted and the vulagi will never be able understand how things work in Fiji.
The vulagi need to have an open mind when it comes to local traditions and culture as it just just too complicated for their comprehension.
I have realised recently that the basic thing a vulagi should understand is that this is iTaukei land, their laws apply, they are entitled to double dip as this is their country, their culture, they can limuri when they want they can do as they please in their own land. What is more, God is with them because they are special people.
I don’t think I put that all that well, but like I said it is very complicated in a tin pot little shithole.
Dear Help yourselfer
So on what itaukei tree does money grow on so that the serfs can be commanded by the chiefs to go pluck them, like mango or guava?
Looking forward to Fiji becoming fully bankrupt….and then to whom will the Chiefs cede Fiji to?????
When the house insists all is tidy, but the broom stays suspiciously busy… you know something’s up!
But, expect the usual – total denial and a saint act so pure it almost hides the rot underneath.
Santa Claus Fiji style – except it’s Santa who is stuffing himself…apologies for fat shaming….but have you seen the size of the Opposition Leader’s stomach…or even Ketan Lal?
Enjoy the perks politicians. It’s all you have got!
Not a single one of the 55 politicians look gaunt and frail, overcome by the worries for the entire community.
Party time for this miserable lot!
You get what you elect Fiji!
Soon they will pass a Bill granting “Amnesty” for all that or you may call it “Immunity” which we all are familiar with. And “Douple Dip” or “Double Dig”, either way its “Multiple” and not “Double”
Has p president returned from his globe trotting?
The racist coconuts are blurting out on social media that pedo made it to Abu Dhabi and the High Commisioner was not there to greet him and, are setting out to destroy Mr Koya.
Perhaps they should realise that Mr Koya, who has more class in one little finger than the all the pap smears put together, did not want to meet the pedophile?
The entitlement of the elite itaukei combined with the ability to take what one pleases and say it’s God’s will combines to create Fiji’s version of the Far Right.
What’s was Manoa Kamikamica’s famous quote, “you pay me more and I’ll work harder?”
He epitomises to me Bob Hawke’s quote, “Never come between a politician and a bucket of money!”
Or in bitchi’s case, never come before a pig and its feeding trough.
Where is the Auditor General in all this? Sorry that he is another toothless tiger who does a lot of reporting to the circus and receives lots of media interest, but hardly any follow-up action done. Shouldn’t he be also audited?
Graham, after your upcoming Double Dipping article, I look
forward to your next story on hands up those who have never been Double Digging. Those who have never been honest to their wives, as well the one who has never ever been faithful to her “husband”.
I’m not a religious person so it intrigues me that so many apparently deeply religious people have so little regard for the Bible’s basic teachings. It appears to me that the higher their “position “ in society the more hypocritical they are.
I’d love to read CommonMan’s thoughts on this and on how the iTaukei so readily and fully embraced a vulagi religion that many of them believe they are God’s chosen people.
Jone,
I second that. It would be very interesting to hear CM’s thoughts on religion.
What about CM’s views too on the concept of “koco” or “kocokoco” (covetousness)? Please CM. Rooted to dishonesty and lack of accountability, thus the never ending double dipping, abuse of funds and privileges etc. Cabinet Ministers, MPs, lawyers, chiefs, even clergy etc. do wrong in this area. All while the masses struggle. Why CM?
Just an opinion folks
Hubris is everywhere in the corridors of power
No amount of pontificating by us will move or sway politicians away from the pig sty as they have tasted the power and are intoxicated beyond redemption
They also know that this government cannot be removed from power as all the institutions in Fiji are under control
The Civil Service, Judiciary, Military and Police, Media !
Besides it seems the majority of Fiji are indifferent or hapless or approve or are ill informed
Any other country would have taken to the streets by now
Instead Fiji is voting with its feet.
The ones with an eye on the future anyway!
For the love of money is the root of all evil.
If these allegations are confirmed, the legal consequences should mirror—and exceed—those of the village-address fraud cases. Parliamentarians must be held to the highest standards of integrity. Any MP found to have knowingly claimed allowances they were not entitled to should face:
• Full criminal investigation by FICAC
• Recovery of unlawfully obtained funds
• Immediate removal from Parliament…..opps HPM might get caught too.
No one is above the law, and the public cannot accept selective justice. The precedent has already been set: if ordinary MPs were jailed for address fraud, then alleged large-scale financial misconduct of this magnitude demands the same—if not stronger—accountability.
Wrong, the untouchable CJ is above the law and he is dishing out selective justice.
First the politicians and others (Permanent Secretaries, members of Boards and Commissions) will deny their involvement in the accepting allowances, per diam or travel when others, including foreign Governments and NGOs have funded their travel and accommodation.
Then when found out they will move to say that they were unaware of this or that the travel was arranged by others (yes, they are oblivious) and then when cornered will say they are sorry and won’t do it again. But they will!
This will be followed by a witch hunt to find out how the double dip was ‘leaked’ and who they can ‘hang’ for this becoming public knowledge!
And where is the Fiji media in all of this? Nowhere to be found!
The Fiji media are pathetic losers and they’re letting the country down in a big way. Feeble Fred Wesley, Stupid Stanley Simpson and equally dumb and vainglorious Vijay Narayan think they are the big swinging dicks of Fiji media but they are nothing but pricks.
GrubSheet is doing more public interest journalism these small pricks and pea brains of Fiji media combined.
There are none so blind as those that do not want to see….now when’s the next government cheque due?
As someone had suggested, it may be worth looking at the moneys given to the COP29 delegates headed by Biman Prasad in 2024 . It had a sleuth of individuals ranging from Ministers, MPs, PSs, CEO’s, Trade Union and Business/Private sector people. The same may be the case this year given the exorbitant costs of travelling to and staying in Belem.
Michael Sivendra kept on claiming most were ‘externally’ funded. It should be easy enough to check the recodrs of who was given what and by who. Sivendra was apparently also supported by the UK government. Did he also take the per diem that is normally paid to official delegates and civil servants.
Double dipping is a plaque in government as participants to workshops and conferences, often funded by donors, also get the normal allowances paid to civil servants. That is why most of these characters spend time attending conferences, rather then on the ground implementation.
As an Australian public servant, you don’t even get tea or coffee provided. You cannot accept alcohol even at any seminars etc provided by third parties and which never would be provided by the govt. Any morning teas, celebrations and Christmas parties are funded at the expense of employees & time deducted from your leave to attend.
On FB I watch as banquets are prepared for ministry staff for conferences, meetings, cakes for ministers at every turn. It appears that it’s widespread on fiji for the govt and its employees to just sponge and live the good life.
The trouble is, Trouble, atheists in developed and secular countries like yours are accountable. But not with elite Israelite believers in a developing country like ours where what is the public’s is mine and my family’s. And neither accounted for. Synagogues were flooded yesterday with requests for forgiveness. They were white as snow in there and once they stepped out of it, they became black as ebony. Then the weekly cycle repeats.