Grave allegations are emerging of a conspiracy between the President, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka and the Chief Justice, Salesi Temo, to thwart any appeal against the finding by the High Court Judge, Justice Dane Tuiqereqere, that the Prime Minister’s dismissal of Barbara Malimali as FICAC Commissioner was unlawful.
The allegations – from sources within the criminal justice system – are shocking and completely undermine the integrity of the State. If proven, the President, Prime Minister and Chief Justice would face the gravest criminal charges of perverting the course of justice and if convicted, would spend many years behind bars.
They are being regarded as credible merely to explain the remarkable turnaround of events yesterday in which the Prime Minister ordered the engagement of a Kings Counsel from New Zealand, Dr Andrew Butler KC, with instructions to lodge an appeal against Tuiqereqere’s ruling before the end of today (Friday).
Just three hours later, Sitiveni Rabuka stopped taking phone calls even from his own lawyer, Simione Valenitabua, who was unable to contact him until today, when the Prime Minister confirmed that any appeal was off.
Grubsheet understands that Dr Butler had already begun work on the case yesterday, had already given an opinion that Justice Tuiqereqere was wrong, and that the New Zealand constitutional expert, Professor Philip Joseph KC, was correct in advising the government last year that it was the PM, not the JSC, who was legally entitled to appoint and remove the FICAC Commissioner.
What happened between the time Dr Butler began work on the case and when the Prime Minister ceased to engage with the legal team he had hired to mount the appeal? It is an astonishing story of alleged criminal conduct of the gravest kind involving the three most senior individuals at the apex of the state – Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, Sitiveni Rabuka, and Salesi Temo. And if proven, shows that the cancer of corruption in the Fijian establishment extends to the highest reaches of the state.
The sequence of alleged events is genuinely mind-boggling:
1/ The Chief Justice, Salesi Temo, conveyed a message to the President – his friend and relative Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu – that if the Head of State agreed to the recommendation that had already been made by the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, for an appeal to be lodged against the Tuiqereqere verdict, he, Temo, would acquit the former attorney general, Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum, of the abuse of office charges he faces, along with the former elections supervisor, Mohammed Saneem, and for which they have been awaiting a verdict since November.
2/ The reverse would apply if the appeal proposal was dropped – that if an appeal wasn’t lodged, the Chief Justice would convict Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and send him to prison – removing him as any threat to the government were he to contest the coming election.
3/ According to these sources, after the Chief Justice delivered this threat, the President contacted the Prime Minister and told him to drop any notion of appealing the Tuiqereqere judgment.
4/ The Prime Minister acceded to this instruction. Within hours, an official statement was issued saying that the government had decided not to proceed with an appeal. (see below). It was notable for not mentioning the Prime Minister by name, as has been usual with similar statements in relation to the CoI.
5/ Where was the Prime Minister? By this time, presumably licking his wounds. He had been taking multiple phone calls all day but was suddenly unavailable, even to his own lawyer, Simi Valenitabua, who told sources in frustration that the Prime Minister had disappeared and was uncontactable.
These allegations demand an official response. They cannot be ignored in the same way that has come to characterise the government’s response to news that it doesn’t like.
They are the most serious allegations imaginable and require thorough investigation. Because if they are true, the corruption of the state under the trio of Ratu Naiqama, Sitiveni Rabuka and Salesi Temo, has reached a new and frightening level.
Certainly, there is compelling evidence that the judiciary has been fundamentally compromised and that no-one – least of all Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum – can get a fair trial in Fiji. And that the wrongdoing that has been identified by the Ashton-Lewis Commission of Inquiry has reached the pinnacle of the establishment and corrupted the inner workings of the state.
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The government statement on Thursday night that pointedly didn’t mention the Prime Minister. Why not? Was it because he didn’t want to put his name to it?
UPDATE SATURDAY AM:
There has so far been total silence from the government about these astonishing allegations. Once again, by ignoring the story, they hope it will go away.
Of course, the usual suspects are delighted the appeal isn’t going ahead. Well they would be, wouldn’t they?
Here’s the extent of the local media’s ability to investigate anything:
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And in the case of the Fiji Times – the nation’s traditional newspaper of record – the best they can do has been a self-indulgent hissy fit because they went up to FICAC expecting the Acting Commissioner to lay on tea and keke but were sent away.
Grubsheet has rarely seen a more pathetic piece of “journalism”.
Subtext? Well, at least we tried.
Pass the sick bag, Fred. Totally effing useless.
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But never mind. Today’s fish wrapping from the Motibhais of Ba is promising the inside story from their (now very) occasional columnist, Richard “I have the means” Naidu.
It’s, ahem, independent commentary, of course. Naidu not only controls the paper’s output by being its legal gatekeeper but is Biman Prasad’s lawyer and also Chair of the Fiscal Review Committee which gave Fiji Water a seven year tax holiday when it is one of Naidu’s clients.
Will we get a declaration of all of this plus the fact that Richard Naidu is actively trying to derail the CoI? Is that yet another pig flying over Suva?
A rush job, eh? Diddums. With all those balls in the air, of course it’s a rush job. But at least you’ve done your job on behalf of your patrons.
These people are so dumb the Information Minister, Lynda Tabuya, gives Richard Naidu a public stamp of approval.
More independent journalism from the Fiji Times.
Got another sick bag, Fred?
The turaround from lodging an appeal in the morning to changing ones mind a few hours later was interesting but not surprising. As this is a well known flip/flop prime minister. But then what you say puts the whole thing into another perspective.
One thing is undeniable – The CJ is obviously sqeezing the PM by his balls. It is all very interesting.
Hmmm…does Rabuka have any balls at all??
Its hardly surprising. Khaiyum is going to gaol because Temo is “the fix it man”. Frank B has already gone in once. Am sure Bainimarama group within the RFMF is watching on with anger and mild bemusement. Khaiyum has no standing within the RFMF even if he is Frank’s boy.
Cant see any itaukei spilling blood on behalf of an indo-Fijian. We indo-Fijians are cowards and not really revolutionary types anyway.
Not sure what the trigger will be that eventually sees Rabuka humiliated out of office,
It took an oaf such as George Speight (acting on behalf of mutinous Rambo) to dethrone Ratu Mara. Chaudhry was mere bridal underwear that was casually tossed aside (along with Mara).
One wonder when Rabuka gets what he deserves next. I am writing this more out of despair rather than hope or curiosity.
Can Alzheimers come quick enough for the snake?
Temo deserves a frighful thrashing and that crippled imbecile Lalabalavu needs to get himself to the nearest nursing home.
Just when you think corruption in Fiji has reached its peak, the Snake says “Hold my bilo”.
Putting his self-interest above the well-being of the country. This move will destroy the Fiji judicial system for years to come.
Wow! This is very dangerous and concerning! Is the rule of law still prevalent in Fiji? If so, why the alleged interference by the Judiciary into the work of Executive? Why is the PM denied being able to carry on with the appeal?
Also, why Kai does has to be a scapegoat in all this nonsense? Why can’t facts of his case be the only consideration? Politics aside – don’t these people fear God that injustice done to those innocent will have catastrophic consequences?
No wonder Temo did not render judgement on Feb 2nd on the ASK cade. The closing arguments were heard in November. Two months was more than enough time to make the ruling, but he deferred to March for sinister motives.
O M G, how can anyone trust the judiciary anymore. The rule of law does not exist. Karma is a bitch and the LORD is watching. Mark my words, this saga is not going to end well for these clowns.
Reading this piece, I’m left with a deep sense of sadness and anger, but also a renewed determination that we cannot let Fiji sink any further into this swamp of impunity and moral decay.
For far too long, a small circle of shameless, self‑interested leaders has treated our country as their personal project and our people as expendable collateral. Institutions that should belong to the nation – the courts, the public service, the independent commissions – have been bent, bullied, or selectively used to protect the powerful and punish opponents.
When allegations reach even into the heart of the judiciary, it is not just a political crisis; it is an assault on the very idea that ordinary Fijians can ever expect fair treatment under the law.
Whatever one’s politics, we should all agree on this: no person, however educated, connected, or feared, is above the law. If even the perception takes hold that outcomes in the courts can be traded, threatened, or negotiated behind closed doors, then the social contract is broken. People will stop believing in lawful processes and start believing that only power matters – and that is a very dangerous place for any country.
To those who have presided over this state of affairs for years: have some mercy on Fiji and its people. You have extracted more than enough – in money, in opportunity, in dignity, in trust. The least you can do now is step back and allow truly independent processes to run their course without interference. If you care even a little for the country you so often claim to love, stop clinging to influence and allow Fiji the space to heal.
To ordinary Fijians, especially the young: it is easy to feel that nothing will change, that the same faces will always find a way to land on their feet. But our elders, faith traditions, and cultures have always reminded us that truth and justice outlast deceit and fear. That does not happen by magic; it happens when citizens refuse to normalise wrongdoing, insist on transparency, support honest leaders, and keep speaking out even when it is uncomfortable or risky.
We cannot undo the damage overnight, but we can choose who we believe, who we follow, and what we are prepared to tolerate. Fiji deserves institutions that serve the people, not individuals. Fiji deserves leaders who see public office as a responsibility, not a shield. And Fiji deserves a future in which our children do not have to grow up expecting that the powerful will always escape accountability.
Truth and justice will triumph over evil only if we insist on it – consistently, loudly, and courageously. Let this moment be a turning point, not just another scandal we learn to live with.
The fear of Aiyaz coming back to whip their skanky arses would be enough to send the lost tribe to church 24/7.
And I always thought that cases were decided on facts. Silly me.
But if the CJ and the pedo Prez are holding the PM hostage then where and when will this end? What precedent does this set?
The PM should realise that when you do the wrong thing in the first place than the wrong perpetuates. It is already going out of control. If the PM does not put a stop to this he will become a puppet. I reckon he has been a puppet all along.
Well, what do you know!
Richard ‘I have the means’ Naidoo is finding his voice again, and will have a piece in Saturdays Fiji Times on ‘that judgement’ , as he puts it.
Oooh wea, yippee yah yo, we can’t wait to read it, Richie Bitch!
Dose of reality for you: Whatever shit you churn out will reek of hypocrisy. It will be self-serving, just like the traitorous decision by fiscal review committee for a seven year tax holiday to your Munro Leys client, Fiji Water, and the vat hike to 15%, on behalf of bastard Biman, who appointed you chairperson of the committee to facilitate decisionssuch as this. Baiman also appointed a librarian, Kirti Patel, his squeeze, to the committee to vote for and rubber stamp such a decisions.
So whatever you write is not worth the paper its written on, you sanctimonious piece of shit. Take your views and shove it where the sun don’t shine.
We have seen through you and know what you stand for – your clients first and foremost, and you use your position to advantage them, to the disadvantage of indigenous resource owners and the taxpayers of Fiji.
Here’s Richie Rich in his own making a grand announcement about his forthcoming column. He is beside himself with excitement. Just like Biman his head is so deep up his own arse that he can’t see how much he is resented. A genius in his own f*cking mind:
So what about THAT judgment this week of Justice Tuiqereqere? Why did Barbara Malimali win? Or did she? How did we get into this mess? And how much longer will the COI saga go on? (Answer – on and on and on).
My piece in tomorrow’s Fiji Times (bit of a rush job😬)
Thanks for this. I’ve added a reference to it at the bottom of the existing story, with a gold stamp for Richie Rich from Lynda Tabuya, the strumpet and “weed” lover who passes for Information Minister in this God-forsaken government.
They don’t even try to pretend they are independent of each other.
1. It just appears that since the last elections, dark forces have captured Fiji and this spell won’t be going away anytime soon. This is more like a coup of some sort where independence of democratic institutions and processes are allegedly being eroded/undermined by the day.
Fiji is truly jinxed now. The leadership appears to be out of control and everyone with some power throws their tantrums to get what they want. The once admired mainstream media has seemed to have been washed away to Kinoya Sewage Treatment Plant and the stench is hard to bear now when passing that 60km per hour kinoya stretch every day. Those once so vocal on anti corruption have gone silent. “Straight Talk” has now become Crooked Talk and no critical analysis or alternative views are contained in those bulky weekend newspapers.
2. It’s no longer and has never been about attacking the previous Government or throwing racist rhetoric from time to time by this Government. This has been just a strategy to fool the public to obtain political advantage.
3. It’s now purely about money making by a few elites. More specifically, it’s about how to protect those tainted with corruption. Lawyers (except a few) both within and outside Govt making money by creating organised chaos, corrupt politicians being protected and when a few of them get charged (due to public pressure) then the dark forces return to protect them, ministers abusing authority such as latest report of sports minister Saukuru’s wife’s NZ trip paid by taxpayers. Those in power are not stable in their decisions. That not only creates uncertainty but leads to a waste of taxpayer’s money.
4. But evil never wins and the unscrupulous people will eventually see the end of the line soon or a line that goes straight to prison.
5. It’s now looks more certain that a new Govt is on the horizon. You can fool some people some of the time but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time. The use of the race card, use of the land card, putting Kai in jail or anything against the previous Govt won’t work now. The coalition + G9 has come full cycle now!