There has yet to be a formal announcement but the court record shows that the Deputy Prime Minister, Manoa Kamikamica, has been charged with corruption-related offences and will appear in court on Wednesday.
While it has been an open secret in some quarters and Grubsheet has alluded to it in several articles, the news is still breaking like a thunderclap over the nation, partly because of Kamikamica’s status as Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka‘s heir presumptive. Not any longer.
Now that he has been charged, details of the case are sub judice. But it follows Manoa Kamikamica receiving a strikingly adverse mention in the Ashton-Lewis Commission of Inquiry Report into the Malimali affair. That was followed by the disclosure that FICAC had seized the Minister’s mobile phone.
The fallout from this episode is obviously major political news. But it will also inevitably have a big impact on public perceptions of the credibility of the CoI Report, which is under concerted attack in the courts from the Judicial Services Commission (the Chief Justice, Salesi Temo and the Chief Registrar, Tomasi Bainivalu ), Barbara Malimali herself, Wylie Clarke and Laurel Vaurasi of the Fiji Law Society and the ousted former attorney general, Graham Leung.
So the entire contents of the CoI should be junked? That’s the application by these parties to the High Court Judge, Justice Dane Tuiqereqere, in the judicial review hearing set down for December 12. But on what basis should it be junked when the first criminal charge arising from the Commission of Inquiry has now been laid and further cases are being investigated by both FICAC and the police?
Qori. This is bound to strengthen the case for the CoI to have been set up by the Prime Minister in the first place, strengthen the notion that it was conducted properly, strengthen the credibility of Justice David Ashton-Lewis and his findings and make it all the more difficult to sink the CoI.
Which is as it should be. Because that is what the national interest demands.
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UPDATE MONDAY PM:
Manoa Kamikamica is evidently still absent from the country, which means he hasn’t been arrested in the normal manner but that the charges will be presented in court on Wednesday.
Incredibly, the lawyer who will represent him at that hearing is Wylie Clarke – who has also been adversely named at the CoI but hasn’t yet been charged with any offence.
Starting to be reported by the mainstream media, several hours after Grubsheet’s posting.
NOTE IN RELATION TO COMMENTS:
Now that someone has been charged and is awaiting trial, some of the latitude that has been traditionally permitted here is no longer possible because of the laws of contempt.
So restraint please, readers. You can discuss the politics and what it all means but not the case itself. Manoa Kamikamica deserves the presumption of innocence until proven guilty like anyone else.
POSTSCRIPT:
Not that CFL-Fiji Villlage takes any notice of the laws of contempt, with Vijay Narayan including the following extraordinary statement in his CFL-Fiji Village report:
” Kamikamica had earlier made it clear to fijivillage news that the claims were malicious”.
Let’s make this clear: That is prejudicing the case in the Deputy Prime Minister’s favour and is totally unacceptable. But that is the level of hostility towards the CoI being displayed by some elements of the local media as they adopt a partisan position in favour of those adversely named in its Report..
They deserve to have the book thrown at them.
Next to be charged, Baimaan Prasad.
See, there is a God.
Perjury put in laymans term is ” telling lies” under oath. Not a good practice for a father, husband and Deputy Prime Minister. Having a good understanding of law, I wish to point out the preferential treatment given by FICAC to Manoa. Why is Manoa bailed to attend court? Perjury is an indictable offence under Section 176 of Crimes Act 2009. That means to say that it is an arrestable offence where a person needs to be produced in Custody handcuffed like any common man. Justice should not only be done , but seen to be done.
These idiots should know better when in public office. Apparently he does not know better. He should step aside resign from cabinet till he gets his day in court and get his name cleared .
Fireworks about to start. Happy Diwali
Yes, it is an allegation and the deputy PM is innocent until proven guilty. With that said, Rabuka is behind this. He is eliminating the threat to his leadership. Manoa is the next in line and was going to challenge Rabuka’s leadership. Just imagine, how come nothing is happening to the others who are alleged in the COI report, but only Manoa.
There are multiple investigations still in progress at FICAC and the police and Suva is abuzz with rumours that Biman Prasad is next. So to say that “nothing is happening to the others” is not only premature but isn’t borne out by the facts.
Well Ray, surprising the PM in the same business class cabin isnt helpful, innit? And your PM not knowing his DPMs final destination isn’t helpful either, innit?
As long as Saleshni is the Chief Justice, he will have a hand in letting his favorites go free. After all, Saleshni has been doing as he likes.
Lol…”Saleshni” Temo…OMG, you have a great sense of humour!
Saleshni ..hahaha
Hahahaha! I think you broke the internet, slacker!
With apologies to all the real Saleshni s in Fisi! lol!
Charging is one thing – convicting is another.
In the coconut republic you only get convicted if you are outside the govmit.
Ministers and assistant ministers lead a charmed life.
GD – all members of the Coalition prior to the traitors joining were either a minister or an assistant minister. Is that to be found anywhere else in the world?
No.
Now watch him use his power to throw each one of them under the bus one by one. Biman will be next. Others will follow. Rabuka will look like a gallant hero and others useless. It is a typical Rabuka move.
Let him get rid of the others, then somebody needs to report the expensive watch to FICAC for a ‘please explain’
Yes, the gold Rolex and its unexplained source will eventually wind up as a FICAC matter, whether under this government or the next. Of that we can be sure. Tick, tick, tick.
a cudda will get that flashy watch before any croc.
is there a cudda in the pond?
Me, just speculating off course, since Rambo wont tell; is that the owners of the Wonderful Company bought that sparkly trinket for our 3rd world leader using their legal representative who is also legal counsel to a man that has the agency for sparkly trinkets for the wrist.
The Wonderful Company gets a fist full of our dollars, the owner gets a vote for Israel at the UN and Rambo got one nice time piece to get to the dinner on time.
Trump is owned by Miriam Adelson, who owns Rambo?
Rambaku must be careful someone does not push him into the croc pond in his three piece suit, walking stick, with Rolex and all.
You forgot all the shiny medals
There were emails sent an other exchanges made in the lead up to the PAP AGM last week. This made it clear to Rambo that Manoa was still keen for the party leadership role.
Rambo got his relative heading the FICAC to charge Manoa as a payback for the strings Manoa pulled leading up to the AGM.
The reality is that Manoa would have made a far better leader and a way better pm than Rambo. Unlike Rambo, he is not a racist. There has not been ethnic cleansing of indofijians in the ministries he heads, unlike what we’ve seen in racist Rambo’s ministries.
That’ll teach MK to wear checked suits!
The only course of action by Manoa Kamikamica is to stand aside from his position until the case against him is heard. If he does not, then the PM should remove him.
The allegations against him have been swirling around since the COI and it was only a matter of time before they became charges.
The question now is whether the charges will be dealt with prior to the hearing on Judicial Review of the COI itself?
The FICAC case is completely separate to any judicial review of the CoI. Were it to interfere with it, it would mean a complete breakdown of the rule of law.
Of course, that’s not to say it won’t happen in the jungle that the criminal justice system has become under these monkeys.
Ah the good old days:
Govt: Here’s some stupid-looking flags.
Elite: oh I say, this is the worst thing that’s ever happened.
Threat to Sitiveni’s 2026 election leadership being removed…selective prosecution.
I agree…he is eliminating Brutus before further backstabbing happens.
Three DPMs sitting on a wall
And if one DPM (MK) should accidentally fall….
Two DPMs sitting on a wall
And if one DPM (Biman) should accidentally fall….
One DPM sitting on the wall
And if one DPM (Blinky FJ $3m) should fall…
The Snake has risen. A snake is a snake is a snake. Sa oti Manoa. lol
Crocodile tears will soon fill the pond that is now being drained.
Very true! Who is the better of the two evils?
Manoa did not start the decline of this country in 1987. He did not start the racist coup that allowed raping, killing, suffering, discrimination of a particular race. He did not say “you spineless Indians go back to India.
He is not an adulterer who shamelessly says he has got many illegitimate bastard children that he has fathered, or at least that we know of. I am not aware if his son-in-law sleeps with his ex-partner.
If Manoa has shown favouritism or corruption, who are the saints left in this Coalition Government.
Who is the champion of the two evils.
Why is the Chief Justice not charged by Ficac? It is double standard justice in Fiji. This is orchestrated by the snake.
/
No one in this government nor its public institutions can read or speak proper English. Incoherent sentences that show how stupid and slow their brains are. Look at what the man cutting a cake at the statistics office said about digitalisation and Ai. What?
@ What Census says, Unfortunately, I do not agree with you.
We should appreciate we got our freedom back. The people and the media have got freedom now. Those 16 years of suffering under ASK and Frank, Oh my God. They used to terminate the parliamentarians and minister for misconduct. They had to toe the line.
At least the Coalition members get a second chance now. Don’t forget, the AG had to come back to make a bigger mess of the existing mess.
Remember the non-Saint (sinner) minister for Women & Children protection. We had to bring her back. Her being in the cabinet makes a huge impact. The Pacific Building Solutions (PBS) is helping the ITaukei directly by taking the load of them. PBS is getting all major government jobs. PBS is not doing anything wrong, they are businesspeople. ITaukei are not interested to have their own building company. It is all good as long as Indo Fijians don’t gain. The Indo Fijian businesspeople are exempt; they give expensive gifts and sponsor activities.
So, in conclusion, our brain and English are very much in place, or almost. err, erh, eeh!
Your brain is certainly not in place. What a load of rubbish. Or is this a spoof?
We maybe in for some exciting times ahead.
It all depends on timing of the next general election. Will there be an election next year? I am sure the people who wanted the change and voted for the Coalition will say after all Rabuka is better than ASK and Frank. At least we got freedom of speech under this government.
Yes, from Rabuka has been selectively implementing the recommendations of COI. It seems he picks the people and timing as it suits him.He did not get the Chief Justice removed just because his high chief will get insulted. He has no respect for the constitution on the country. Obviously, he is in a breach of the constitution and is liable for being charged. Maybe that will be for the next government if the government changes.
On another interesting point is that the judicial review of the CoI Is not initiated by Rabuka. It is the Chief Justice and a bunch of people implicated in the CoI report.
Now the question is who the other ones are that Rabuka will take action against.
This police commissioner will selectively pick people to suit Rabuka. The names will depend on how it will affect his chances of getting re-elected in the next general election.
Will he get Biman charged. Of course, yes. Currently he needs Biman to be there to cop the blame for all his incompetence. Now don’t forget that is the calibre of the candidates in his party to take ministerial positions. Remember the sacking of the AG then appointing somebody else and then going back to the original. That is despite labeling him as not being competent to do the job. He will throw Biman under the bus when he is no longer required. Rabuka knows well that Biman will not get the same Indo-Fijian support in the next election. He will get his popularity back to make benefit of the D’Hondt system to get the majority vote.