The Fiji Times Sunday edition breathlessly splashes something we have all known since the middle of 2023 (or at least those who read Grubsheet) – the business relationship between the Minister for iTaukei Affairs, Ifereimi Vasu, and the convicted Chinese gangster – drug and people trafficker Jason Zhong.
It’s as if the whole story is new but even the Fiji Times itself was reporting it in July 2023 (see below), though in the context of the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, playing down “reports on social media” of the inappropriateness of the relationship and saying that Jason Zhong “had served his time”. That, unfortunately, was before Zhong got into trouble again – charged with trying to bribe a government official.
Why is it front page news today? Because the Fiji Times has forged a relationship with the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) – the “international investigative journalism agency” – and is rehashing much of the material the OCCRP has already published on Fiji and has been covered at length on Grubsheet. This has included, in recent days, the Fiji Times finally doing detailed stories on the Yue Lai owner and Chinese Communist Party agent, Zhao Fugang, and now Ifereimi Vasu’s business links with Jason Zhong.
Once again, the Prime Minister resorts to his customary lasulasu-jhoot by feigning ignorance of what has always been a scandalous relationship that has been highlighted multiple times on Grubsheet and Fijileaks but has been largely ignored by the mainstream media in Fiji. “Open to investigation if the matter is raised”? For God’s sake, Prime Minister, the matter has been raised repeatedly for the past year and a half. But, of course, it doesn’t matter until it is front page “news” in the paper of your cheerleaders at the Fiji Times and with the next election bearing down on you like a speeding locomotive.
Read this story today, Fiji, and then read the detailed stories Grubsheet has been covering on Ifeieimi Vasu and Jason Zhong in these columns (and on our now defunct Facebook page) for the best part of 18 months. And ask yourself what is new. Nothing. Except that the OCCRP has since sent personnel into the Fiji Times newsroom to train its staff and Fred Wesley‘s team is finally taking notice of its reports on Chinese organised crime in Fiji that it should have covered months ago but that Fred studiously avoided. Until now.
Better late than never, I suppose, and as always, we are thankful for small mercies amid the gloom of a nation steadily going to hell in a handbag under Rabuka’s leadership. But will it prompt the Prime Minister to finally intervene to break up the Vasu-Zhong relationship? We shall see.
It is all strikingly simple. The Minister for iTaukei Affairs and the Chinese gangster – who met when Jason Zhong was in jail and Ifereimi Vasu was in charge of the prison system – have built a successful agricultural business together. Vasu presides over iTaukei land. The business has been trying to increase its land holdings and has been successful in securing new leases. Sound appropriate to you, Fiji? It doesn’t bother Sitiveni Rabuka. But to any Fijian with even the most basic sense of right and wrong, it is just plain wrong and always has been.
Old news and here’s the proof – a Fiji Times story 16 months ago in July 2023. The “Snake” either has memory loss or is lying. Or both.
Today’s Fiji Times front page 16 months later…
But very stale news for Grubsheet readers…
Plus one of our many critiques of the Fiji Times that also mentions Jason Zhong.
The people of Fiji are blessed that since the last election the government is run by angels appointed by God. Starting from the Prime Minister, the Minister for Women, the Minister for Education, the Minister for Justice, the AG, the Minister for iTaukei Affairs, the 3 DPMs, Minister for Lands, and the list goes on. All have unblemished records which are publicly available. The people of Fiji certainly deserve such angels.
But then, why do they all wonder why Fiji is where it is!!!!
And conveniently National Security Minister, Pio Tikoduadua is out of the picture in Australia when all this is taking place. .
What a coincidence.
Nonsense. I saw him in Suva yesterday. Stop the lies.
Fiji time all right. Keep exposing these corrupt bastards, Mr D. There’s definitely more of them.
Fiji First government were just snorkeling with Corruption. Coalition government is diving deep with it.
Bai and Kai were eating kanace
Bimini and Rasuka is eating lobsters.
If that makes sense.
One-eyed fifth column anti-China propaganda from a known source whose country for whom China is its largest trading partner. More than 30% of its total trade in 2023 was with China.
Yet piddling little Fiji is crucified and spat at for developing business relationships with Fiji citizens of chinese ethnicity.
This all coming from those who sold us the idea that Jesus Christ was a blue-eyed, blond haired and asexual white man !
The hypocrisy is apalling.
Australia, the nation, is doing business with China, the nation. Ifereimi Vasu is IN business with a Chinese gangster. If you can’t tell the difference between that then they need to double your current medication, St Giles inmate.
Sheesh. Sometimes the ignorance here is breathtaking.
So, Australian individual citizens don’t do business with Chinese ?
Please GD, put the cork back on and put the bottle away. It’s messing with your judgement.
Kaicolo, the point is being IN BUSINESS with CONVICTED DRUG DEALING GANSTERS! Sheesh.
Other countries have rules against doing business with and being partners IN drug dealing convicted criminals. There is a difference. Jeebus.
Please God. What have I done to deserve this?
To jog wacol inmate’s memory:
https://sherloc.unodc.org/cld/case-law-doc/drugcrimetype/fji/
As we can see, we are not talking about a two-bit petty thief here. Zhong ran a dangerously large operation producing methamphetamine valued at FJ$1B. Billion.
And the snake SLR said he’d call for “an investigation into the professional relationship shared by iTaukei Affairs Minister Ifereimi Vasu and business partner Jason Zhong if the matter is raised with him formally.” Wtf.
https://www.fijitimes.com.fj/pm-rabuka-responds-to-vasu-zhong-business-ties/
Zhong is a twice-convicted sex and drug offender, Mr wacol.
Additionally, a more recent report includes this, quote:
One of Zhao’s purported top associates, convicted drug manufacturer Jason Zhong, is close friends and business partners with a top minister in Fiji’s current government, Ifereimi Vasu. End quote
Zhao is Zhao Fugang, quote: the communist part agent and long suspected local leader of a network that included members with previous convictions for crimes including drug and sex trafficking. Zhao has not been charged with any crime and denies any wrongdoing. End quote.
https://www.occrp.org/en/investigation/top-australian-criminal-target-zhao-thrived-in-fiji-despite-high-level-warnings
How is it that locals do not see how characters like Zhong have caused serious negative impact mainly the i-taukei people vis-à-vis the explosion of drug use destroying our own people lives?
Wacol inmate, its time to look away from the mirror of bigotry and racism, open your eyes to how drugs are destroying our youth and help find solutions.
Perpetually hating on others as a knee-jerk reaction or just for the sake of it does not help the itaukei people.
Stop the constant hate and racism and try to redirect your energy to help your people better their lives, rudderless as they are due to the complete absence of leadership- from the homes, chiefly, faith, and government.
There are few Fiji born Chinese who has taken advantage of successive governments.
Some have been appointed to boards ,some has been made officials and middle man in between negotiations.
Whichever government came into power they have changed sides.
Who knows they may be also undercovers as they are with government all along and know more than other Fiji citizens about inside of government, especially deals.
They are taken for overseas trips at the expense to Fijian tax payers as face of Fiji.
Pictures don’t lie.
With Wacol, it is the ingrained prejudice and the stupidity in his/her DNA. He/she is stuck with it. Cannot be changed. It will be passed on to the children and that is the saddest part because that is exactly what has been happening in Fiji all along.
“Open to investigation if the matter is raised” and how does one raise the matter so that it is investigated – hasn’t it been raised many time by Fiji leaks , Grubsheet and now the Fiji Times (although it would appear that this news paper does raise matters on Fiji Time)
Barbra Malimali is the lawyer for Jason Zhong. FICAC had charged him. Big time conflict of interest. I am 100% sure that Zhong’s case will be nolle prosequi soon.
At the time when Malimali was interviewed for the Commissioner’s post, did she declare that she is the lawyer of Jason Zhong???…
I am sure she did not!!
PROBLEM
Zhong has served time + serving Government Minister + partnership in successful agriculturally based business + keys to land =
Conflict of Interest at the very least of critical thresholds.
POSSIBLE SOLUTION
Move Minister to another portfolio away from holding the keys to land. A portfolio unrelated to agriculture.
That the Minister is running a successful business is commendable indeed.
The optics alone on face value does not look good. And not logical.
What is logical is that a trap is being set for the Minister to fall. And fall he will. Machiavellian minds at work???
When a country is looking for a fugitive or a suspect, it is not just hearsay.
They will have concrete evidence against him or her.
Surveillance on that person is carried out for many hours,days months or even years to come out with something concrete that he or she is to be pinned.
Here we have Mr Chopsuey doing his criminal activities and is camouflaged by police, ministers and government officials.
But one thing everyone has to remember, “the long arm of the law will get you”
You can run or hide for now but not forever.
There is more GD! Filimoni Vosarogo now has two children on full scholarship from the Chinese Government in Beijing! How does a Minister who’s always dealing with the Chinese have two kids both on Chinese Scholarships?? One of the two is Tu Seru and the other Saini. A male and a female .
Vosarogo had so much potential but he is willing to get up in society whichever way he can ! He now takes things from the Chinese without batting an eye !
Why can’t a child from a struggling family receive one of those scholarships ! And why is the Chinese govt giving it straight to
Ministers kids without a public advert for those who wish to apply for the scholarships to do so?
That’s corruption at the highest order and Rabuka just looks away ! 💁😡
Didn’t you know that Minister Vosarogo and his children are special and entitled.
He is the Minister for Lands afterall, so……………..you gotta do what you gotta do for the family………..while one can.
Should Vasu be moved to a non-agriculture ministry, TLTB CEO Nata is still there administering land lease applications. Conflicts of interest abound as he is a former consultant to Chinese businesses Iike Zhong. No way will Barbara dig these up at FICAC as she is so thick, let alone the ODPP squad. Isa, sa maumau qai vakaloloma dina na noda vanua lomani o Viti (regrettably, our beloved Fiji is just losing it at all fronts, [except the Dubai 7s of course]). The poverty gap continues to increase as the elite such as Nata and Vosarogo get richer while the poor remain poor. Vinaka, Siti.