It beggars belief that the already embattled Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Lynda Tabuya, should be enveloped in a fresh scandal on top of her sex and drug escapade in Melbourne and her savage attack on the Deputy Prime Minister, Biman Prasad. Yet she now faces serious questions about her relationship with the Chinese government after she confirmed reports today that the Chinese Embassy in Suva has donated $172,000 to her home village – Jiliva in Nakasaleka, Kadavu.
15 days after Victor Lal at Fijileaks first reported that Lynda Tabuya had received the $172,000 from the Chinese Ambassador, Zhao JIan, the Minister has issued a “clarification” to FBC News. She says she didn’t receive the money personally but confirms that it went to the “Jiliva Development Committee”. In other words, the Chinese government has given $172,000 not to her but to her village.
There is not a jot of difference in the Fijian context. Both for Lynda Tabuya and FBC News – which clearly doesn’t understand the issues itself and fails to ask the hard questions. So let’s just lay it all out in stark detail:
1/ China is a transactional society in which the Chinese government is not in the business of giving donations to anyone without expecting something in return. All over the world, including in our own region, its largesse has strings attached that is compromising the sovereignty of nations which are in its debt.
2/ China has given money to Lynda Tabuya’s home village in Kadavu to curry favour with HER. There is no earthly reason for it to have done so otherwise. Jiliva has no more claim to foreign aid money than hundreds of villages throughout Fiji. (There are officially 1,193 of them)
3/ Assuming the Chinese told Lynda Tabuya what they were doing, the correct course of action would have been for her to have told the Chinese Ambassador to make a donation to the Fijian government through the usual channels so that the $172,000 could be distributed on the basis of need.
4/ Lynda Tabuya should have been aware right from the start that the Chinese government wasn’t giving the money because Jiliva especially deserves it but because it is her home village. It is using the donation as a means to elicit gratitude from her but more pertinently a sense of obligation.
5/ By allowing the donation to proceed, Lynda Tabuya has compromised herself personally irrespective of whether the cash went through her or was given to the “Jiliva Development Committee”. The sense of obligation remains. Yet more importantly, she has compromised her position as a minister and compromised the Coalition government.
6/ This is now an issue of national security and raises a number of serious questions.
- What is the precise relationship between Lynda Tabuya and the Chinese Ambassador and his government?
- Did she tell the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, that the Chinese planned to donate $172,000 to her home village and discuss with him either the danger of being compromised or the danger of being seen to be compromised?
- What is the Prime Minister’s attitude to a foreign power giving money directly to the home village of one of his Ministers rather than going through the customary channels for dispensing foreign aid?
- What undertakings, if any, have been given by Lynda Tabuya to the Chinese Ambassador about what she will do in return for the Chinese largesse towards her home village?
This is a deeply worrying development and merely adds to the existing grave concerns about the conduct of the Chinese Communist Party in Fiji. Because we already know from western intelligence sources that China uses unofficial agents of influence to advance its interests in the country.
1/ The owner of the Yue Lai restaurant, Zhao Fugang, has publicly admitted that he works for the Chinese Communist Party. He has also been identified by Australian intelligence officials as the alleged ringleader of a large drug importation operation into Australia – something he denies.
2/ The convicted drug and people trafficker, Jason Zhong , has also been identified by the same sources as an alleged agent of influence for the Chinese Communist Party. Yet he happens to be in a private business relationship with Ifereimi Vasu – the Minister for iTaukei Affairs in the Coalition government. The two have farming interests together and that business continues with Vasu as a minister.
3/ What is the extent of the relationship between the Chinese Embassy in Suva and Lynda Tabuya – the Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection? Simple logic tells us that there must be some relationship or why would the Chinese government be giving $172,000 to her home village?
Lynda Tabuya needs to do a lot more than “clarify” that the money went not to her but her village’s “development Committee”. She needs to address the issue of her relationship with the Chinese head on and explain herself in detail.
The Prime Minister also needs to assure the nation that there has been total transparency in relation to this deal. And that China will derive no benefit whatsoever from Lynda Tabuya or the Coalition government for its largesse to one village in Kadavu that happens to be her home village to the exclusion of other villages in Fiji.
Why is all this so important? Because a shocking suspicion is starting to dawn on the Fijian people. We know that Zhao Fugang – a self acknowledged Chinese agent of influence – had close relationships with both the ousted prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, and the ousted police commissioner, Sitiveni Qiliho. We know that Jason Zhong – a suspected Chinese agent of influence – is in business with the Minister for iTaukei Affairs. Has, or is, Lynda Tabuya being similarly compromised?
None of what is happening is remotely acceptable. And It is critical for public confidence in our national security and the integrity of the government that the Prime Minister deals with this issue as a matter of urgency. He must insist that the $172,000 that China has given to Lynda Tabuya’s home village be returned. If the Chinese want to give money to Fiji, it should be government to government and allocated on the basis of need.
What has happened completely crosses the line of what is acceptable to maintain proper standards of governance. It sets a precedence for foreign governments to buy influence with the grassroots and bypass normal channels of diplomacy. And that has the obvious potential to destabilise the nation in a fundamental and highly alarming manner.
Is China trying to cultivate Lynda Tabuya? Undoubtedly. Is she already a Chinese agent of influence? That is now an open question. Let’s hear from her. The Minister’s “clarification” to FBC News is woefully inadequate given the gravity of what has happened and she has some serious explaining to do.
The original Fijileaks report on June 9.
Lynda Tabuya visits her home village. The clip calls it “Tiliva”. It is Jiliva.
Pity the poor people of Fiji. Did we really deserve a government that doesn’t recognize a third of the population as Fijian, that takes tax advice from conflicted individuals, and has firmly established bad governance as the norm.
The Chinese are coming! The Chinese are coming!
The 11 dash line now has Kadavu in it’s sight. Bugger !!!!!!
After the Taiwan reunification, the Kadavu reunification !!
Holy Mataqali !! We’re doomed.
China may have tried to Curry her favour. And there would be long Noodle Strings attached to their kind donation.
However you try and get the village to hand the money back…if some of it hasn’t already been spent.
It may have been payment for “services” already rendered. I’m just saying.
Her ‘services’ are worth no more than $20. And one would have to be really, really desperate for her services.
But it is ridiculous if this donation is allowed to stand and if the “Honourable” Minister is not sacked than Fiji is doomed. Her village should put up a statue of the “Dis-honourable” Minister because she has done so much for them.
On another note, a new strain of orange sweet potato which is common all over the world has been named in Fiji after the Honourable Minister of Agriculture’s home island in Lau.
I reckon the people of this island should also erect a statue of the minister for his achievement. Both these ministers are God’s gift to Fiji.
Looks like Sue has provided private services in kind to the Chinese ambassador to solicit funds in return for her home village development. She has misused her position of authority to solicit favour leading to abuse of office. Unfortunately FICAC is now toothless and with so many corruption cases against coalition govt ministers it is basically doing nothing. It has comprised its independence.
What next? The minister using her connections and guile to get the Chinese govt to donate to her high school fundraiser? (Yat Sen). Being a school of Chinese heritage it should only take a whisper from the Minister for the Yen$$ to come for Yat Sen! It’s time to reward her supporters and friends, others can wait in line.
She has a case too here in the US..
Who knows she maybe own a CHINESE PASSPORT…
She’s being used by the Coalition Govt because she’s a Pro..
She knows how to handle $$$$$$ matters..😂🤣😂
Brutal woman
It was the Chinese that gave the donation. However the concept of Indian Giver applies.
The minister obviously does not know where the boundary is in such matters. The donation should not have been solicited and if it was offered by the other party – who should not have offered it in the manner they did – the minister should have politely declined it to not compromise herself.
But hey this is the norm in certain cultures to buy favours and influence under the guise of donations. Just look at the disclosed and undisclosed donors to political parties by business interest and lobby groups .
Are the Chinese having another attempt to Purchase Kadavu …this donation deposit being just a sweetener for the bigger rewards to follow for those who facilitate the deed of cession to be signed !!
It would be a great move there for those Dimsums or Simpsons who think living under Chinese communist rule is fantastic.
In previous govt’s all donations from foreign govt’s had to go through an aid coordination unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These rules were well understood by foreign embassies. These donations would resource a pipe-line of priority projects that addressed a genuine need or were of high impact.
The Cheeleeva Village fundraiser would stand no chance of sniffing 172k if it were not for the diva from Cheeleeva’s adroit queue jumping.
Rabuka as the Foreign Minister and Biman Prasad as Finance Minister should set in place controls to prevent more cases of queue jumping.
Chinese influence and influx is going to be disastrous for the Fijian race. iTaukei’s are going to lose their identity. Chinese will cross breed non sparingly and we will have a new Chinofijian race. Bad luck to young Fijian dudes. There is a grave danger that they will have their hands to play with and mostly will die remaining a bachelor.
You damn too good Graham, pity you not opening a new Facebook Account to highlight all these events and expose the coalition government on FB Platform
It’s not the first attempt, so says Red Moon Rising. Our southern-most province’s chiefs and people should thus be on the alert as Ministers Tabuya and Vasu are both from there. They are powerful and influential, self-driven, can manipulate the authorities, and also goose step or kick FICAC into touch. Proven!
Other provinces should also be on the alert and closely watch their own sons and daughters in Cabinet, and also in Parliament should those kocokoco FF MPs become independents and join a GNU as mooted by the PM.
Rabuka should show leadership and fire her from cabinet if these allegations are true.
Lynda Tabuya is a disaster, incompetent and a political prostitute.
I bet you will find a lot of things that were paid for with someone else’s money over the years. She didn’t become a scammer overnight.
If she’s totally ok and justified about stealing from the people to raise her salary while she does nothing for the people, doubtful this was the first time she took money from somewhere she shouldn’t have.
Time to take a closer look at the developments in the village, etc.
GD, Wouldn’t this be not only sackable but isn’t it a crime for a politician to accept money from Communist China?
Oh but she didn’t accept money. The village did. Silly us for not understanding the difference. Scandalous.
Kadavu – was this the place the Chinese were going to build their new fantastic Naval Base / Harbour with the blessings from the previous government in lieu of the repayment of the $150 million loan?
Lynda is seriously bad news for the government and Fiji, full stop! The longer she is in government and in a position of authority, the greater the damage she’s causing. Honourable PM, please pull out that moral card from wherever it’s hiding and do the right thing by the people of Fiji. Elections are approaching and you and your PAP will need to be smear free! Pun intended…
So again Rabuka and Biman sleeping at their jobs while Madam Slime walks all over them. And Naidunomics is shit as ever.
If it wasn’t for Fijileaks and GD, we would be a nation of slumbers. Know nothing, say nothing.
I have never been so ashamed by a woman minister. She is so careless, entitled, fashion show joke (yes, her fashion sucks), and an absolute village mentality. Like where was this woman raised, educated, civilised! A national shame indeed.
Maybe the Chinese know who the real political power person is in Fiji, currently and in the near future. So that’s who they curry favour with.
They have placed their bets on who they see as the winning horse for this and the upcoming races.
Madam Tabuya. Somebody give her a shiny red traditional Chinese outfit for her next fashion catwalk in parliament please !
Let them enjoy the money while it lasts. Maybe they will even build some toilets and stop asking for government funds. At least the Indians will be spared the usual taunts, remarks and go back to India comments for a while. I dare anyone to say a word or words that is directed to the Indians to the Chinese. Let the Chinese look and care for them.
In any other democracy whether it is the US or Australia, MPs are not allowed to receive gifts or play a part in the transfer of gifts especially from a foreign power, to their favoured charities.
But this is Fiji, and it is run by the entitled taukei fm their over entities public schools. Nothing is done and nothing will be done against LT not even from Graham Leung, the new AG who is from the same entitled tribal elite and who proudly pronounces his Kadavu roots like Lynda.
Rabuka can only be lenient on her for a reason….
A bunch of chatterboxes. If you think this is a crime, arrest the briber for bribery! Or kick him out! Maybe are you just waiting for him to bribe you?? ! !