Premila Kumar has established herself as definitely someone to watch as other former FijiFirst politicians struggle to carve out meaningful roles as independents in this parliament following the party’s implosion and position themselves for the next election.
The former senior minister has gone on the attack against the Coalition’s conduct in a well argued article in Tuesday’s Fiji Sun about the appointment of Barbara Malimali as FICAC Commissioner, warning that its integrity and credibility in the eyes of the Fijian people is now very much on the line.
In going on the front foot, Premila Kumar is keeping the FICAC scandal very much alive and not for the first time, is showing her male colleagues in the opposition how it should be done. Inia Seruiratu and Jone Usamate have also been vocal in pursuing this saga but it’s striking that Kumar has been most effective in laying out the issues and especially when the mainstream media has been so politicised in its coverage.
In the case of the slavishly pro-government Fiji Times, it is actively trying to avoid covering the story at all and is only doing so because the Fiji Sun is forcing its hand. The Fiji Times front page today (Tuesday) is pathetic – Sitiveni Rabuka “laying to rest” the question of whether Barbara Malimali had resigned as Chair of the Electoral Commission before she took the job of FICAC Commissioner.
For God’s sake, who cares? The real question is whether the Acting Chief Justice, Salesi Temo – as Chair of the Judicial Services Commission – conspired with the Attorney General, Graham Leung, to install Malimali as FICAC Commissioner when she was under active investigation by the corruption watchdog herself.
Make no mistake. For all the protestations of his independence, Temo is constitutionally obliged to liaise with the AG, who is the government’s conduit to the judiciary. We also know that he was handpicked by the Coalition to be Acting CJ and worked closely with Leung’s predecessor, Siromi Turaga, to engineer, for instance, the continuing suspension of Christopher Pryde as DPP and John Rabuku‘s unlawful appointment as Acting DPP, which was subsequently countermanded by three Supreme Court judges.
It is inconceivable that Temo and Leung had no knowledge of the FICAC investigation into Malimali. Nor is it conceivable that they didn’t know that FICAC was actively investigating up to nine Coalition ministers and was about to charge Biman Prasad with allegedly failing to properly declare his assets before the last election. Why? Because it is all on the public record, including the letter that former deputy commissioner, Francis Puleiwai, circulated to several government ministers telling them that the arrest of Prasad was imminent (see below).
As for the media, you can judge for yourself, Fiji, clear evidence that the Coalition and the Fiji Times are in a corrupt relationship to manipulate the news in the government’s favour. And that evidence is successive issues of the paper in which Barbara-gate is either completely ignored or Fred Wesley and his team bend their coverage in blatant and sometimes “laugh out loud” instances of bias.
The Prime Minister hasn’t laid anything to rest while the People’s Alliance stooge who was under active investigation herself remains at FICAC and has sole charge of investigations into a string of government ministers . Anywhere else in the world, there would be only one word for it. CORRUPTION.
Here’s Tuesday’s coverage – first the Fiji Sun front-page story, then Premila Kumar’s compelling feature in the Sun, followed by the risible coverage in the crook Mac Patel‘s crooked Fiji Times.
As for the supposedly straight-talking Vijay Narayan at CFL-Fiji Village and the Coalition lackeys at FBC, not a peep. The supposed new era of media freedom in Fiji. The freedom for the media to treat the Fijian people like mushrooms. Keep them in the dark and feed them bullshit.
None of this is in the Fiji Times. Just a blatant exercise in spin.
The only letter that really matters – Francis Puleiwai telling the government that Biman Prasad was about to be charged. It didn’t happen and it is high time for the government to come clean. Because within hours, the FICAC Deputy Commissioner was gone.
GD A single incident could have resulted in a public inquiry or bringing the gov’t down, because they are so serious in undermining the efficacy, credibility and standing of the judiciary, and the other arms of government of Fiji. But now there are a multitude of very serious allegations of malfeasance by government ministers, potentially corrupt appointments of senior gov’t officials, as well as the independence of judiciary and the list goes on. Put all of them together, Fiji’s governnance is fractured and the Prime Minister is leading a ship rudderless into unchartered territory.
Meanwhile, despite the daily barrage of drip, drip concerns being raised by yourself, the Fijileaks, and a few others, I can’t understand why the people of Fiji, including their “Bar Council” which regulates the behaviour and conduct of their members (legal professional) seems to be laid back and do nothing on their own volition concerning some very serious allegations of misconduct by their members. First it was Lynda Tubuya’s finding of misconduct in Melbourne, but despite that she is still allowed to practice and continues to be a member of that professional body. The Bar Council on its own could carry out investigations of the recent shenanighans against their own members appointments to discover whether there have been any breaches in the conduct of their members. Because the details of their members are in public domain and circulated and read widely.
But sadly not a squeak from their learned profession. A great pity!
Yes, there are major issues with this coalition government but
Premila is no saint.
She now wants to come clean.
Her track record as minister was the uncompleted Lautoka swimming pool with a cost of 6 times more than budget .
Appointment of relatives to local councils and boards etc .
A pot calling the kettle black.
She was part of the evil crowd.
Sima: how long are we going to constantly harp on about the wrongs of the the previous-16 year past-government, a la broken record?
Please explain what, why, or how the Lautoka swimming pool saga can be connected to the current government’s repeated lawless conduct, greed, shameless shafting of the electorate??
How about the 350m dollars NBF saga? How far back did you wish to go to lay blame? The 8m dollar goverment pay raise? The 3m Fiji Airways saga? How about the billionaire 7-year take break?
By your reasoning, are you saying none of the-above mentioned lunacy has anything to do with the current disgraceful conduct by this ‘coalition’of greed.
Led by the same, thug, now senile, still a serial lying adulterious racist bastard. The same hateful bumbling bankrupt idiot who led us all on the downward spiral from 1987 to here and now?
Attacking the messenger without addressing the issue raise is not helpful. Besides, what, if anything, has the swimming pool ‘saga’ inquiry proved? a Sega? Se saqa?
Stick to the issues raised.
As for Premila, none except perhaps one person (if that) can hold a candle to Premila level of competence, transparency, ethics, integrity.
‘Slavish and pro-government Fiji Times’, Fiji should know why this is so. The FFP party applied the law and convicted greed and corruption. The Fiji Times mission then was to ‘expose’ the FF government. Now, the paper is a ‘slave’ to the coalition. The workers are ridiculed by their peers and the public, then and now, for ‘toeing the line’ a directive opinionated in print set on a vengeance.
Just when you thought a government could not be more incompetent than the last.
There are now some serious issues for Biman. Chaudhry who he’s said is a chor and a liar had an argument that the funds were provided to him overseas as a gift. But according to Victor Lal, Biman has in Fiji entered into an arrangement to evade tax. If this is true it is (a) remarkable and (b) very serious.
Imagine a Minister of Finance in charge of the public purse being party to something like this?
I stress this has to be true.
Also imagine the years of pontification about good governance we’ve had to read in the Fiji Times and in less than 2 years we’ve seen this Minister give tax holidays with apparent conflicts and now this latest allegation.
Make no mistake this is not failing to declare accurately. The allegation is conspiracy to evade tax or cheat the public.
It doesn’t get more serious.
If it’s true it’s a game changer.
What she’s talking about.
Only a thousand votes, half were family and friends.
You could say that about many of them. And let’s not forget who got the greatest number of votes at the last election. The bloke now behind bars at Korovou.
It’s about being an effective opposition. That’s what they are paid to do and let’s face it. Ever since the election, the overall performance has been woeful.
Premila is at least having a go. And she has made some important points in this article.
All the same GD
Government and opposition.
Fijians have no one and nowhere to go.
Just have to face the reality of the present situation created by both past and present governments.
Last one was saying bananas were apples and this one is saying apples are bananas.
Hospitals have run out of drugs.
Supply hospitals with all drugs seized by police and that may ease the pain of many patients.
Please God help Fiji and forever more.
We can go on and on about the previous government. They definitely were not saints but we are talking about THIS GOVERNMENT.
They promised change, accountability, transparency etc. Our beautiful country is being ruined on a daily basis.
It is time to dissolve parliament and call a snap election.
All government members who are guilty of mis deeds should refrain from standing.
The opposition should organise it self into a party, or parties as the case may be.
Australian and New Zealand observers to oversee election .
Next government will probably be a single party, not a wobbly coalition.
To all Fijians who want to shut up anyone that speaks up about corruption:
They have you right where they want you.
You’re willing to protect a corrupt government that will NOT save you or your children from poverty and despair just because you are I-Taukei.
With every day that passes and you sit silently or you trash anyone that tries to speak up, the country is descending further into hell.
Stop putting down anyone that speaks up for you and get together and make a plan to stop this nonsense!
And speaking of laugh out loud, did anyone read the FijiVillage article wherein Biman is claiming that Fiji, now it has moved away from its past, is capable of becoming a rich country? What’s he on? Because the rest of Fiji will need some to get through until this government is thrown out.
At the AGM for PAP held on Friday, Manoa Kamikamica was asked why he threw Honorable Ravi under the bus with charges and why save Biman Prasad Manoa Kamikamica in front of a few people stated if Biman Prasad is charged we are all next.
Remember that Rabuka is playing both sides. He will say what we need to hear in the media and do something entirely different.
Yes, it is his modus operandi across a broad front. And why he is called “The Snake”. But it is wearing very thin.
Rabuka thinks the Fijian people are stupid. We have been stupid to the extent that we were conned by his assurances that he had changed. But that’s because we have been brought up to trust our leaders.
Alas, that trust has been betrayed. And once lost in the case of the Prime Minister, the people’s trust in him can never be regained.
The next election is wide open for a new force – perhaps incorporating the best of the current MPs – to sweep these people aside. Because people are starting to realise that the nation is on a slippery slope to catastrophe.
It is obvious and plain to see that this government is made up of people with primitive minds. Lets not be in denial about this fact. And when you have primitive minds as the leader and in the judiciary and everywhere else, what else do you expect?
Who is to blame? The people of Fiji must look in the mirror, because most of them have primitive minds as well. Primitive minds, combined with arrogance is what you get and what you see. They make their own laws as they go. This is their country after all so the vulagi should know their rightful place.
GD –
1 Corruption does not quite do it, although it is in the Crimes Act 2009. Basically there needs to be some financial component or benefit.
2 There is “sedition”, that is in the books. That is for people outside government acting against the government and so does not cover people within government acting against government.
3. I thought “subversion” , and checked dictionary meaning, and it works, EXCEPT, there is no law against subversion in the Crimes Act 2009.
SUB/VER/SION :
the undermining of the power and authority of an established system or institution:
Ian, not for the first time, you are wrong. There needn’t be a financial component or benefit. FYI, here is Transparency International’s definition of corruption:
“We define corruption as the abuse of entrusted power for private gain.
Corruption erodes trust, weakens democracy, hampers economic development and further exacerbates inequality, poverty, social division and the environmental crisis.
Exposing corruption and holding the corrupt to account can only happen if we understand the way corruption works and the systems that enable it.
What is corruption?
Corruption can take many forms, and can include behaviours like:
public servants demanding or taking money or favours in exchange for services,
politicians misusing public money or granting public jobs or contracts to their sponsors, friends and families,
corporations bribing officials to get lucrative deals
Corruption can happen anywhere: in business, government, the courts, the media, and in civil society, as well as across all sectors from health and education to infrastructure and sports.
Corruption can involve anyone: politicians, government officials, public servants, business people or members of the public.
Corruption happens in the shadows, often with the help of professional enablers such as bankers, lawyers, accountants and real estate agents, opaque financial systems and anonymous shell companies that allow corruption schemes to flourish and the corrupt to launder and hide their illicit wealth” etc etc
All of this is going on in Fiji. But this definition makes it clear that it also covers granting individuals jobs on the public purse to do the bidding of elected or appointed officials. Which is precisely what we are witnessing in this instance.
Those who go to listen to their speeches and those who attend functions where they are present are all idiots. How many idiots are there in Fiji?
Without a doubt the Fiji government and its key institutions are suffering from a malaise that has seen the end of once fine institutions in various spheres of public life.
A good example is the Union Club in Suva. It was once a place for senior civil servants, middle and senior managers of private firms, journalists, trade unionists, people of all colour and persuasion who gathered together to enjoy a tipple, a game of snooker, chat to friends before disappearing home at the end of a day.
Everything worked like clockwork, the committee did their job well, hardly a cheque bounced, and there was an air of respect that shaped how people related to each other,
Then suddenly race and old school ties were used to gain ascendancy at annual meetings, motions carried and new faces entered the committee. Before long a new gang were in charge, they voted themselves bar privileges and things started to change.
You see the same thing happening in all social clubs, in municipal councils. We can see this cancer now affecting the government under this Coalition Government under Rabuka. There is one rule for a few in the inner circle and another rule for the rest of us.
The single thing that one can point to that is the cause for this atrophy is a refusal to adhere to standards and rules, always an excuse in favour of kila vata.
This kila vata concept is killing government and is killing this country. Rabuka has the means to arrest it but he lacks the will as he sees no wrong. He is part of it. You can’t turn a sour’s ear into a silk purse. This is the SVT taukei government all over again. God help Fiji.
Biman filing false declaration of assets etc.
Just when I thought ( with some satisfaction that finally ) Fiji leaks had found hard smoking gun evidence against Biman – the copied valuation report of $2.815 million and the property being sold at a deflated price of $550,000 – to avoid Capital Gains Tax.
Then I read closer and see that the derived projected valuation of $2.815 was AFTER the planned development of the property in future by putting up 14 new apartments! The undeveloped property was only worth more like the $500,000 it was sold for.
No one with half a peanut brain can reliably conclude there was avoidance of CGT. Because there was no capital gain of $2.815 million less the sale price of $550,000. If the property did end up being developed as projected and valued then there would be a capital gain for the owners who developed it and when or if they sell it.
Incompetence is not only monopolised by the Rabuka administration. It’s everywhere.
Sheesh.
This is not a defence or support of Biman. But indignation at the quality of what has been dug up…very very poor. Is the audience and the Judicial system where the Ficac case is hoped to end up considered stupid?
As is much often the case in Fiji – someone comes across a little purported evidence and lo and behold, a grand statement of corruption or other wild accusations are thrown about to a gullible or audience who doesn’t think. “A little knowledge in the wrong hands is very dangerous”.
You’ll have noticed that I have chosen not to cover the issues Victor Lal has raised precisely because I have no independent knowledge of them. I have merely pointed my readers in the direction of Fijileaks to decide the quality of the evidence he presents for themselves.
But what you are arguing is really beside the point. FICAC carried out a investigation into Biman Prasad. We don’t know what they uncovered. But it was clearly enough for Francis Puleiwai to decide that Biman Prasad had a case to answer and she would charge him on the same basis as she would charge anyone else – that his prosecution was in the public interest and there was a reasonable prospect of securing a conviction.
It really doesn’t matter what you think, or what Biman Prasad and his lawyers think. No-one knows what FICAC has in the way of evidence that persuaded it that Biman should be charged. But whatever allegations FICAC assembled must be determined in a court of law, not in the court of public opinion. So he should have been charged and put before the courts for a judge to decide.
What has happened to stymie that process by removing Puleiwai and installing Barbara Malimali to review the case – something she openly admits – is an attempt to pervert the course of justice. And it is a very serious matter indeed.
Biman Prasad and the likes of Graham Leung, Salesi Temo and Richard Naidu have placed the NFP leader above the law. And that is a national scandal.
This is a good point and shows the significant danger poor journalism from Fiji Leaks can present. Wise of GD to stay away from it. I won’t be reading Fiji leaks now. Thanks for pointing this out. It’s not on to make baseless allegations.
Good on Premila for calling out the circus for what it is. Chaudhry and Narube deserve credit for espousing what many of us feel, amidst the garbled murmurs of Seruiratu and Usamate.
It should be clear from the record right from the day he got appointed, Rabuka has been inconsistent, lying, bereft of any principles of good governance and basically a spineless PM, manipulated at whim by his Ministers. His record on any issues from climate change to drugs to foreign policy (geopolitics, nuclear, deep sea mining, Gaza war etc etc) have lacked any analysis and depth and has made hm a laughing stock in the region and internationally.
At home his MPs are running circles around him and he is trying hard to divert issues, be it on racially motivated appointments, interference of judiciary, blatant abuse of power by his Ministers and DPMs etc by deceit and deviousness. If he thinks the people of Fiji are stupid, he really should offer his candidature at the next elections.
She should first look at the sh”t stains in her drawers before pointing out the skid marks in the government’s. She’s exactly like them. Look at her record while she was on the other side of the aisle. Bish!
And one more point. Anyone over 65 endeavouring to enter parliament should have a geriatric assessment done by an external psychiatrist.
Great to get a comprehensive definition of CORRUPTION / CORRUPT in GD’s earlier reply to Ian Simpson!
I thought the common use of the term was that it could be thrown at anyone:
Who you did not like;
You thought had a better job than you;
Who drove a Prado while you had a Prius;
Who ran a successful business;
Anyone with a bigger house..Etc etc
ie envious of anyone seen as better placed than you.
( You as in a person , not GD specifically)
🙂
Premila is the boss woman.
She should lead the party next election.
She has the credibility and integrity unlike any other woman and leader in the coalition and opposition.
She is the woman to watch.
And there’s no stains on SLRS sulu vataga? Weed and bonking minister? Education’s sexual deviant, violet abuser? The nine MP’s referred to ficac? ‘Come alone eh’ Baimaan? Minister in business with convicted drug gangster?
The judiciary? FICAC?
One could go on.
None of the above are without takin aim only at selective targets is unrealistic.
Spell out her record. Put up, or stop talking. Address the subject/issue Premila raised.
Flippant, foolish, prejudiced, remarks with your rose tinted selective memory has to be called out.