The ongoing upheavals in the criminal justice system simply cannot continue if the Coalition is to have any chance of retaining public confidence in the rule of law, let alone of winning the 2026 election.
And that means replacing Barbara Malimali, the one-woman stumbling disaster at FICAC, as well as the “guilty of professional misconduct” Deputy DPP, John Rabuku, the drink-driving Chief Registrar, Tomasi Bainivalu and above all, the man who is ultimately responsible for this fiasco – the mendacious outlaw at the apex of the judiciary and biggest disaster of all, the Acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo.
Hot on the heels of our story yesterday on the accident-prone FICAC Commissioner comes news that the Supervisor of Elections, Ana Mataiciwa, has filed a police complaint against Malimali alleging abuse of office, intimidation and harassment of witnesses. And in a separate police complaint, the former deputy commissioner of FICAC, Francis Puleiwai – now in self-imposed exile in Australia – alleges that Malimali unlawfully used her powers to put a stop departure order on her when she wasn’t being investigated by the corruption watchdog.
By Grubsheet’s count, that now means four separate investigations into Barbara Malimali – the big one, the judicial investigation by Justice David Ashton-Lewis into the allegedly “rotten” circumstances of her appointment, then the sham investigation by her friend, the Deputy DPP, John Rabuku, into the allegation of abuse of office against her as chair of the Electoral Commission, and the two newly-revealed police inquiries instigated by Ana Mataiciwa and Francis Puleiwai.
All this is now casting a pall over the reputations of not only the Judicial Services Commission and its head – the hapless, dishonest bumbler, Salesi Temo – but also those politicians who have engineered the current disaster in the criminal justice system – the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, his Attorney General, Graham Leung, and the Justice Minister, Siromi Turaga, who began wreaking havoc with a succession of unsuitable appointments when he was AG but couldn’t have done so without the PM’s authority.
Something has got to give as the countdown to the next election starts to build momentum. And the easiest first step is to remove Barbara Malimali from FICAC. She was a political appointment in the first place to put an end to the FICAC investigations into a slew of politicians and prevent the Deputy Prime Minister, Biman Prasad, from being charged with abuse of office by Francis Puleiwai. But she is lurching from one disaster to another and is a danger not only to herself but the reputation of the entire government and, more seriously, the integrity of the state.
If the nation can’t have confidence in its corruption watchdog, it can’t have confidence in anything. And this simply cannot go on.
Of course, nothing in the “see nothing” Fiji Times, although Editor Fred Wesley can’t do anything to suppress the rising tide of anger against the government from his own readers.
Someone whose reputation is taking a particular battering is the Attorney General, Graham Leung, who supposedly replaced Siromi Turaga as AG to act as a “new broom” in the criminal justice system but instead has presided over more chaos.
Graham Leung pops up in the customary “look back in history” section of today’s Fiji Times complaining about unprofessionalism and misconduct in the legal profession when he was president of the Fiji Law Society.
The year was 2004 and precisely 20 years on, Leung is now the chief law officer of the state capable of doing something about it. Yet instead he is actually presiding over a level of unprofessionalism and misconduct in his own ranks that is far worse than anything we have ever seen in Fiji.
A story that has come back to haunt him. As it should. Because only one description immediately comes to mind. Hypocrite.
This is what happens when you ‘elect’ an idiot from 37 years ago to bring about change and that too with a great deal of exuberance!
I mean how couldn’t anyone not see this coming?
This whole thing is about racism, hate and having fun for today. It is about the culture of living today and not thinking about the future. That is the culture in Fiji right? The best culture.
Coup leaders must never be allowed to lead a country, no matter how much they claim to have changed. Both Rabuka and Bainimarama deserve to face justice, regardless of any positive contributions they may have made to the nation. Conducting a coup requires selfishness, arrogance, and a personal agenda. These traits are deeply ingrained, making it unrealistic to expect a meaningful transformation in their behavior. Such individuals are likely to continue exhibiting these characteristics, both overtly and subtly.
The fact that these two men have held the position of Prime Minister is a profound disgrace. It reflects poorly on us as a nation that we elevate lawbreakers to positions of high regard, betraying the principles of justice and accountability.
Any comment from collision’s Nur Bano?
What if someone else, appointed on merit, was the FICAC Commissioner or Acting DPP, or even Acting CJ, would Rabuka have hesitated to sack these people. Yes, he would have sacked them with the slightest of complaints made against them.
But he has not only hesitated but also protected these political appointments to save his face. However, the more he hesitates and protects them, the more he and his government are exposed to a point that even ordinary Fijians have lost their trust in government.
Rabuka, as a leader, has failed miserably. He is no longer trusted. His appeaser Biman Prasad has mucked up the economy and the confidence of investors. People are suffering and leaving in droves in search of jobs and better life abroad. Biman is playing the politics of indispensibiliity.
Rabuka must act now. Enough is enough.
As I said yesterday Barbara Malimali would not know what integrity is!
She is another example of appointments by this Government and its woeful JSC that have been based on bias, cronyism and are either party supporters or failed candidates.
Whilst appointing party supporters is nothing new in politics, the PAP and its coalition partners have appointed people not qualified, compromised by previous acts or associations and in this case under investigations. As for the JSC their record of abysmal is well documented, particularly related to the office of DPP.
The allegations made by the SOE (who is a well-qualified lawyer) come as no surprise and add to those already in place.
If Barbara Malimali had any sense of integrity, and her attitude and actions to date suggest she does not, she would either stand aside until the allegations are dealt with or she should resign.
She will do neither given her arrogance and self-important stance. Another entitled iTaukei who believes standards of conduct and laws don’t apply to her!
What is happening to Fiji?
Some so drunk with money and power are proudly ploughing through the society norms and integrity as if these things don’t even exist.
Others are just too stupid to see the train coming at full speed towards them that will destroy their and their children’s future. They applaud and defend these incompetent, unethical and unprincipled individuals as if their life depended on it.
Those with any sort of opportunity created for themselves to leave Fiji are gone or in the process of leaving.
Then there were those who proclaimed themselves as the principled, matured and ethical brains trust of the Fijian society. The likes of Richard Naidu, Wadan Narsey, Nirmal Singh, and others. Whats happened to them? Richard definitely sold himself and Fijians that trusted him…not sure what happened to others.
Then comes the great professor. The mastermind everyone thought he was. He’s proven that he doesn’t have 10% the brains ASK had. I voted for Biman and it’s definitely been the worst decision in my life.
Lastly is the Racist in Chief, Rabuka. Why didn’t we see what he was? A snake who just changed his skin, but a snake in every way.
What has happened to our beloved country? Can we turn this destruction around?
Another feather in Barb-wires cap. Rabuka isn’t going to step in to do anything.
She’s just giving everyone the finger and doing her thing because she knows she’s untouchable anywhere
I reckon “nobra milamila” will be rescued by the evil that descended upon our simple and beautiful country in 1987. Since then this epitome of all things evil has repeatedly bashed and dragged our country backwards everything we thought things were going to get better and that the general population had learnt from the lesson of the past. But to no avail.. we are truly an unlucky country. We have had baritone buka spreading his poison repeatedly for decades now…along the way he has taught and brainwashed certain sections of the itaukei and amazingly a small band of stupid indo fijians that his brand of ethno nationalism is the best way forward for fiji. Two coups in 1987, one in 2000, a mutiny that broke the back of fijian military and the person responsible for all of this chaos and destruction has been given yet another chance to squeeze every ounce of optimism out of anyone who had enough faith to wish and hope for fiji and all fijians to do better “soon”. Almost 40 years of being let down repeatedly in our country of birth has finally broken the backs of almost every indo fijian family and many sane itaukei families who escaped baritone bukas poison and brainwashing. Everyone’s had enough…many have themselves to blame for believing this evil charlatan. But unfortunately we are all going down as a collective people and nation. I curse everyone who supported and voted for this evil bastard…because you all gave him another chance to spread his poison….and this time we won’t get another chance to make it better. Everyone’s leaving or trying to leave. Very soon fiji will be a shadow of its former economically vibrant melting pot that was the best nation in the south Pacific. Fiji will very soon become a world renowned pariah state where racism, hate, poverty, stupidity and chaos reigns….and our people made it happen by giving people yet another chance to complete his evil.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Malimali is like an over grown kindergarten kid. And to think she is heading one of the most critically important institutions of the nation.
What a laughing stock Fiji has fast become, all because Rabuka is unable to handle this mess. Wish her all the best as she plants tavioka in Naboro in the not too distant future.
By Leung in the 2004 article “Generally, excellence is lacking and mediocrity the norm” An apt description of the government he joined this year.
This is the same person who expressed her outrage on social media after being “shushed” at an event by the then Australian High Commissioner to Fiji when she was being particularly loud and obnoxious at her table during onstage formalities. She appears to have a certain character and personality type that does bode well for a public role with significant responsibility and power. An implosion is inevitable, due to her own hubris, lack of emotional intelligence, and common sense.
Barb wire is claiming to her friends that She slept with Rabuka doing the olden days and she has him by the balls. She is also telling people that the Commission of Inquiry is there is clear her.
OMG, how many others has she slept with?
Shameless creature, showing off her tits,looking for some new high profile for a night? An insult to iTaukei people.
@Fred asked where is Collision’s Nur Bano.
Collision’s Nur Bano, with all the hatred for FFP, is busy defending Linda Tuibia. Maybe, she thinks it is ok to have extra maritial affairs. What is wrong with stuffing up someone’s marriage just to have fun with others’ husband (admi chor).
She just likes scrutinising Bai & Kai. It is ok for Baimaan to force upon anyone to kiss her.
Students from University openly complaining about sexual harassment. She will not open her mouth.