The Police Commissioner, Rusiate Tudravu, has some serious explaining to do over the revelation that he has had meetings with Zhao Fugang, the self-confessed Chinese Communist Party agent and owner of Suva’s Yue Lai Restaurant, who has been identified by intelligence agencies as an alleged key figure in the regional drug trade.
Tudravu has admitted in correspondence with the Sydney-based whistleblower, Alexandra Forwood, that he had two meetings with Zhao Fugang in July and September of last year.
Here’s a startling extract from that exchange.
What was the purpose of those meetings? The Police Commissioner doesn’t say. But the Fijian people have a right to know and he had better explain himself, especially when he has made a point of attacking what he calls a “false narrative” being peddled on social media – an indirect attack on Alex Forwood herself – about the extent of police involvement in the drug trade and its impact on the nation.
The RFMF Commander, Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai, joined the Police Commissioner in making that attack. So he too needs to explain why Rusiate Tudravu is meeting someone identified by the Australian Federal Police and other agencies as a key figure in the drug trade.
First let’s just dissect what Tudravu is saying here when Alex Forwood asks him why he met Zhao Fugang.
1/ His posture is immediately defensive. “Do I have to explain myself?” Yes, you do, Commissioner. Because the case against Zhao Fugang has been set out in detail. And while Fugang has denied being involved in the drug trade, the evidence against him has been strong enough to raise alarm bells about his dealings not only with you but your predecessor, Sitiveni Qiliho, and the former Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama. (see links to several Grubsheet stories below).
2/ “I must have some reason for it”. What is it? Because the allegations in relation to Qiliho and Bainimarama is that they were receiving payments from Zhao Fugang. Grubsheet has detailed how Bainimarama would regularly meet Fugang at the Yue Lai restaurant and be handed envelopes containing cash that were ostensibly “donations to FijiFirst” but which appear to have never been declared to the Elections Office.
3/ When Alex Forwood says Fugang is a “person of interest” in investigations into the drug trade and that Rusiate Tudravu is “compromised” having met him twice, it was open to the Commissioner to confront the issue head on and explain the nature of those meetings. Was he there with other police officers on operational matters? Were there witnesses to the encounters?
Instead Tudravu becomes demonstrably defensive. “Theirs (sic) a lawyers office at that building (Yue Lai). There a restaurant. People host dinner for birthday party and if I attend to any then I’m compromised”. No Commissioner. You’re compromised if you meet an alleged drug Kingpin and don’t have a proper explanation for having done so.
So let’s ask Rusiate Tudravu again:
1/ What were you doing meeting Zhao Fugang last July and September, or any other time at all? What was the nature of those encounters? Were they about operational matters? Or was it personal business?
2/ Were there other police officers present or anyone else who can independently verify what took place? Because this issue goes to the heart of your integrity as Commissioner and the integrity of the police.
It also now impinges on the integrity of the RFMF Commander and the Rabuka government, which is clearly trying to defuse public alarm about the extent of the drugs crisis in Fiji, suggesting that the seriousness of the threat is being exaggerated or misrepresented in some way on social media. At a joint news conference on Monday by the Commander and the Police Commissioner, it was described as “controllable and manageable”.
Really? That claim is being seriously questioned even by the mainstream media in Fiji, with CFL’s Vijay Narayan reporting that it doesn’t appear to correlate with the evidence witnessed by many on the ground.
It is now a matter of public record that one of the most senior officers in the RFMF, Brigadier General Manoa Gadai, earned a reprimand from Jone Kalouniwai for an angry outburst about the lack of official resolve in confronting the drug threat in which he offered to lead the fight himself.
It has forced the RFMF Commander to engage more closely with the Police Commissioner and provide military assistance to the police. Yet their joint news conference on Monday was also notable for its tone of defensiveness rather than steely resolve to meet the scale of the challenge head on.
Major General Kalouniwai emphasised not so much the war on drugs but a “war on narratives” – false narratives that he said were circulating on social media and that were “undermining public confidence and distorting the realities of law enforcement efforts”.
Is this to be the much heralded joint military/police response to the grave crisis Fiji is facing? To “shoot the messenger” – those deeply concerned about the clear evidence of the drug threat and clear evidence that some of our law enforcement officers have been corrupted by the drug barons who have the nation by the throat? No-one is saying the entire police force is corrupt but the level of police corruption that has already been exposed is surely alarming enough.
By emphasising a “war on narratives” alongside a war on the grave threat drugs pose to the national interest – the health and well-being of the Fijian people and the integrity of our institutions – the RFMF Commander and the Police Commissioner picked a fight with those who want to see more resolute action, not platitudes and finger-pointing.
And it isn’t just the narratives of those on social media. The entire nation is yet to be be convinced that the “drug situation is controllable and manageable” simply because the evidence all around them suggests otherwise.
This was an opportunity to instill confidence in the community that strengthening cooperation between the police and military in the drug fight is going to produce tangible results. And they blew it.
1/ What precisely are they planning to do? How will the military be used to complement police operations? Who will ultimately be in charge? And what happens if the military suspects that the police they are working with are compromised?
2/ What is being done to reform the system so that it is not the police who have the task of investigating other police – a clear conflict of interest and the root of many of the current problems – but a proper independent tribunal? Have Kalouniwai and Tudravu discussed any of this with the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, and other politicians?
It was a less-than-impressive demonstration of leadership by both men. If they are going to wage a “war on narratives”, they have chosen the wrong target. Because it isn’t the social media warriors who are the problem but the drug barons corrupting the Fijian people – and especially the young – and corrupting our law enforcement agencies and other institutions.
Yes, they were right in saying the fight must be “holistic”. But their defensiveness is entirely the wrong posture given the scale of the threat and it has clearly not inspired confidence, even with the likes of Vijay Narayan.
They need to meet this challenge head on and turn their weapons on the real enemy. And they can start with Rusiate Tudravu explaining the circumstances of his meetings with the shadowy Zhao Fugang.
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The Fiji Times coverage of Monday’s news conference:
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By yesterday, Vijay Narayan was sending a clear message that as a public relations tactic, the news conference was a big fail.
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Other media coverage of Monday’s news conference.
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Grubsheet background reading on Zhao Fugang:
For more stories on Zhao Fugang, just type his name into the Grubsheet search engine on the right.
Fiji is at a dangerous turning point.
The growing meth and cannabis crisis, plus serious claims of high-level corruption, are damaging law, order, integrity, and accountability across the country.
The recent joint press conference by Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu and RFMF Commander Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai called the drug problem “controllable and manageable.” But it felt more like spin control than real leadership, especially when they focused on fighting “false narratives” and social media instead of the drugs themselves.
On the ground, we see a different story – police officers tipping off dealers, rural areas relying on marijuana for money, and Fiji turning into a full destination for hard drugs like ice.
The most worrying part.
Commissioner Tudravu admitted to two meetings in 2025 with Zhao Fugang — the Yue Lai Restaurant owner flagged by Australian intelligence as a self-confessed CCP agent and a major alleged player in regional drug trafficking, money laundering, and more. Without a clear, public explanation of why these meetings happened, who was there, and what was discussed, trust in police leadership is badly shaken.
We need real action now, not excuses:
Full openness from Commissioner Tudravu about his meetings with Zhao Fugang — or an independent probe right away.
Independent checks on police corruption investigations to avoid conflicts.
Fast, visible steps to arrest corrupt officers and break up trafficking networks.
True teamwork with the RFMF and partners like Australia, aimed at destroying syndicates — not downplaying the danger.
If we don’t act strongly, drug lords and any corrupt helpers will keep hurting our youth, families, and institutions. Fiji deserves leaders who fight the real enemy with honesty and guts.
The people are watching and elections are now in sight – vote with purpose !!
And if Fiji doesn’t take serious action Trump will 😂😂😂
I misread the title # ZHAO FUGANG MUSTERS HIS LOCAL USEFUL IDIOTS as
# ZHAO FUGANG MASTERS HIS LOCAL USEFUL IDIOTS
This is drawing parallels to the same situation between Pryde and Khaiyum which resulted in Pryde being suspended from his role.
The government accused Pryde of colluding/discussing “things” with the former AG at a public function. The result was the DPP was suspended and he was accused of sharing information about cases with the former AG.
Here, we have the Police Commissioner meeting with a known drug peddler who also happens to be a foreign spy for the CCP and trying to brush it off. In the case of Pryde, he was not meeting with a foreign agent of another state or a drug peddler. Yet, the hammer has fallen very heavily on him.
On the other hand, Rusi has now been seen in discussions with a known fugitive and spy, but the government has chosen to look the other way. The PM will naturally be issuing a statement to the effect of “I was not aware” and bury his head between one of his concubines legs.
Rusi has clearly become “one of the boys” and no doubt reaping the rewards and benefits that come with this corrupt government. Which is a pity because the average bloke had high hopes for him and hoped he would be the one to sort these grubs.
One would think the policies and laws of Fiji would apply uniformly to everyone, regardless of their role but this has clearly demonstrated it does not!
Kaiyum was seen talking to pryde at a cocktail and pryde was taken to task . Here police commissioner is meeting a drug lord and he is defending himself . What a law in fiji.
It is now reaching the explosion zone. Time for external intervention MG.
aah bitchi.
where the coconuts just keep taralalaing in a crooked line in the name of the vanua.
in the likelihood that slr loses there will be a coup. The hindis will suffer much worse than 2000.
you read it here 1st.
Unless the top brass in the police force are ‘mentored’ by Australian or NZ police, holding their hands, corruption will prevail.
The Security Forces in Fiji are corrupt and cannot be trusted.
These two men are overrated and incompetent to lead the war on drugs.
Zero tolerance.
Like most manufactured products, around 80 per cent of precursor chemicals for illicit drugs come from legal commercial producers in China. These are then diverted to clandestine drug production networks.
Just as we keep an eye on anyone buying chemicals to make explosives, so too should police forces collaborate and strictly enforce the law with legal entities up and down the supply chain – with Chinese authorities, companies and traders – to ensure these precursors are not used for the wrong purposes.
Smugglers, factories, dealers and corrupt officers need to be whacked mercilessly and rehab centres established to restore the health of addicts.
Not tomorrow… now!
Yet again Alex Furwood beats the Fiji media to it.
She’s exposing drug cartels and corruption while the media have been headlining beauty pageant on successive days.
The doyens and lions of the Fiji media, Stanley ‘Simpleton’ Simpson, Vijay
‘Vainglorious’ Narayan and ‘Feeble’ Fred Wesley.
The so-called big swinging dicks of Fiji media. More like limp dicks.
Put to shame by a lone woman with no media training.
Too busy with bullshit awards nights getting fat on free four and drinks to do some honest work.
Go drown yourselves.
Let me point out – check Zhao’s digital media platforms- mates with Stanley Simpson (Dalo face), Pramesh Sharma(pussy fellow) and fat cat Vijay Narayan – come on boys, come out and deny out, come out on any platform and say no since you all seem to have something to say about GS comments and stories. You hypocrites – Stanley has always taken drugs for fix, Vjiay should take drugs for his weight and Puss grabber Pramesh Sharma promotes drugs to his mates.
Tudravu is a dunderhead with limited vocabulary to match. He was heralded in with much fantasy fanfare and hailed a knight in shining armor.
People forgot this imbecile was the world’s only dismissed/fired commissioner to reappear, really, and be reappointed as police commissioner.
Think about that for a minute. Only sacked police commissioner in the world to be reappointed to the same position as the best man for the job. God help us.
What happened to the group of 8 policemen, including the head of the narcotics unit?
Phones confiscated, yet the majority remain on duty as “investigation” continues. Did the media ask?
The best solution is to appoint Fugang as director of the narcotics unit. Too many higher ups are on the take. Might as well have the guy running the biggest drugs syndicate to head the narcotics bureau.
As for the man in green – a vainglorious man too busy trying to project an aura of himself as the only intelligent person in the room while apologizing to thugs and treasonous bastards and weeping.
When Brigadier General Manoa Gadai suggested the drug problem was beyond the inept clueless and corrupt police, he was reprimanded and told not to involve the military in police affairs.
Yet here we are, the commander as the fiddler on the roof next to the commissioner in Fugang’s pocket.
Tudravu was never suitable for COMPOL position.Like others , he made it because he had challenges with Bainimarama Gov’t. The notion of if we have a common enemy , then we are firends made him ride through . Look at his grammer of “theirs” instead of “there is”. This is the level of knowledge he has.
It is public knowledge that Zhao Fugang is a compromised person in many regards ; Tudravu has some explaining to do. In any other democracy, a public official would either step down or will explain and the only acceptable explaination would be ” for operational reasons in the presence of other officers and this sort of meeting needs to be at Police Headquarters” and not at Zhao Fugang’s turf. Tudravu needs to explain.
Yes, Zhao should be visiting him at Police HQ if it is a legitimate operational meeting. But no free chow “their”, eh? And far too many witnesses.
As Tudravu explained “their ” are other businesses in the same building and people have birthday dinners ‘their’ so, he says, why must he explain anything.
He was attending Fugang’s birthday dinner. So ‘their!’
“Theirs” – that is evidence of the high standards being set by this government. How many people of this standard in the judiciary and elsewhere. How proud are “there” to set “their” standards.
How many proud Fijians are “their” that they have an iTaukei government setting the highest standards and doing the best for them.
And how many proud Fijians are there who do not know the difference between “his” and “ he is”.
By stating that there is a lawyers office, a restaurant , and people attend birthday parties etc, Tudravu has admitted his presence at Zhao Fugang’s building and is legally known as putting up an “alibi”….Giving an expalination of why you are there….Come on Tudravu , you are leaving behind a trail of evidence for your wrong move….
The current circumstances require the immediate exercise of lawful authority to protect institutional integrity, public order, and the rule of law. Where credible concerns exist regarding misconduct, abuse of power, dereliction of duty, or failure of leadership at the highest levels, the State is legally obliged to act.
In accordance with constitutional principles, statutory obligations, and established governance standards, a restructuring of key COC positions must be initiated without delay. This includes the activation of investigative and judicial processes against senior executives where thresholds for inquiry have been met. No officeholder is above scrutiny or accountability.
The position of Commander of the RFMF warrants urgent review. Where leadership is assessed as no longer serving the best interests of national security, institutional stability, or public confidence, removal and replacement are lawful, justified, and necessary. Succession should be effected from within the RFMF, selecting a suitably qualified senior officer of proven competence, integrity, and independence. There is at least one candidate who clearly satisfies these criteria.
In relation to the Office of the Commissioner of Police, the appointment of an expatriate is both lawful and strategically justified. An external appointment would ensure operational independence, eliminate conflicts of interest, and enable impartial enforcement of the law. Such an appointment is consistent with international best practice where domestic institutions have been compromised or weakened.
Failure to act in these circumstances may itself constitute a breach of constitutional duty, undermining the principles of good governance, equality before the law, and public trust. The law provides both the authority and the obligation to intervene. What is now required is the will to enforce it.
Another Hindi PS gone – crushed by coconuts
“Following the end of year review I have taken time to reflect on some of the feedback. My priority has always been the success of the All Blacks and, after discussions with New Zealand Rugby, I believe it is in the best interests of the team for me to step aside,” said embattled All Blacks coach, Scott Robertson.
Q: Why can’t our COI-implicated leaders (and perhaps defence bosses too) simply follow what Scott said and did today?
A: Personal greed, certainly not national interest.