The death in RFMF custody of the accused drug overlord, Jone Vakarisi, is now being officially called what it is – murder – after the disgraceful attempt by Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai to portray it as having been triggered by natural causes – a “sudden medical emergency” caused by a “pre-existing condition”.
The Commander’s latest statement issued last night is a humiliating back-down at a time when the killing is now regional news, including on the front page of Australia’s most influential newspaper (see below).
Quote: “The earlier description of the incident as a ‘medical emergency’ does not fully reflect the medical findings now available”. Unquote.
Talk about a glaring understatement. Jone Vakarisi didn’t die of natural causes. He was beaten to death by soldiers reporting to the Commander. Yet as to why he personally gave the “earlier description”, Ro Kalouniwai simply sidesteps the issue. He clearly doesn’t believe it warrants any explanation.
It isn’t good enough. And if anything, the latest statement simply underlines that fact that the Commander’s position is untenable. As Grubsheet has said previously, he must resign or be sacked.
Why? Because he has failed the very test he sets out in this statement for the RFMF and presumably himself – transparency and accountability.
We are entitled to know why we were lied to – whether it was the Commander himself or his subordinates who gave him a false account. Yet either way, the buck stops with him.
He specifically authorised the orginal statement. And making a false public statement without establishing the truth shows an absence of judgment that gives us no confidence about the Commander’s judgment in any situation in which the defence of the nation is at stake.
The Commander’s own lack of transparency and accountability comes into sharp focus when you compare this statement to the latest statement from the Fiji Police on the Vakarisi killing.
No mention of the “M” word from Jone Kalouniwai. But the police are certainly calling it for what it is.
So we have an RFMF Commander who at first gave a false account of what transpired at the Camp, allowed that false narrative to persist throughout the weekend and even now avoids calling this outrage for what it is.
If Kalouniwai won’t use the word “murder” when the police are willing to do so, how can he possibly claim the RFMF “recognises the seriousness” of what has happened?
This isn’t going to go away. Far from it. The story is now front page news in Australia with a specific reference to “the Australian military becoming embroiled in an unfolding scandal in Fiji”.
An unmitigated disaster that has revived the RFMF’s abysmal human rights record of more than a decade ago and has severely damaged the nation’s overall image.
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POSTSCRIPT:
The Lockington family name is again at the centre of the national debate with a terrific Facebook intervention from the journalist and comms specialist, Mayann Lockington-Shirley.
The late lamented popular hero, Allen Lockington of Kava Place, would be very proud. And for once, Richard Naidu and I are in agreement that this is a “must read”.
And finally, it’s worth reminding ourselves of what the supreme law says about the right to life and the right to personal liberty. Both have been violated by the RFMF.
The Commander was officially on bereavement leave.
He was updated of the events that happened in QEB while he was away.
What he was informed and that what he relayed to media.
Now he is back in office, he gets full story and thorough investigation has started.
Social media in Fiji is faster than lightning.
There have been many deaths that happened in Delainabua since year 2000.
This one sounds unique and very special to many.
This line of justification borders on BOVINE EXCREMENT !!!!
The Commander has not shed light on investigating the breach of security in camp whereby someone reached the armory at three army camps and attempted one at a Navy base which they foiled. A security breach as such is the most shameful thing that can happen at any military base. He is not honest with saying what went missing. Would someone go all the way in breaking high level security and not walk away with anything? The media and he is saying “attempted breach” no security has been breached.
His lies are catching up with him. In his statement he has not acknowledged that other people taken into custody were also beaten up. I hope their medical reports have been done. They are hunting for what went missing from their armories and doesn’t want to say it because it shows that they have let the country down with their overall slackness.
His latest statement is an attempt to make it look like he is professional in his approach but sorry Kalouniwai your integrity is shredded to bits. Your lies have been exposed to the world through your statements. The recent one doesn’t help your attempt to make it right and makes it even worse. Worse is your attempt to justify your murder with people glorifying you and the military. What has our country come to accepting murder and that from the Christian itaukei who are openly commenting in support of his actions.
What has he done about the group of soldiers and officers that were on duty when the armories were accessed. Is there a Board of Inquiry being done? Are the soldiers and officers suspended? Has security been enhanced? He is not looking within to see the cause of what transpired. They have vented their frustration and blame on Vakarisi and his group. He is the one that has caused the security instability in the country through what has transpired. All the political matanigasau and deviating from soldiering has caused this.
Like you said, GD. He should resign.
Mr Ninja
Go back to year 2000
How much of arms and ammunition were at parliament complex.
Huge………..
Who was commander back then?
Has there been any investigation till to date including deaths of CRW soldiers?
Was that not shameful enough plus a so called “civilian coup”?
“National security threat.”
“National state of emergency.”
Section 131.
Combined or each standing alone can be all-encompassing relief.
Be is legal and constitutionally entrenched. Without reference to the immunity clause.
Where does this all leave the victim’s families? Civil lawsuits of wrongful death?
Just saying that there’s more than meets the eye st first glance.
Our ‘vuvale partnership/union’ and other brainwashing neocon partners are just as responsible for the debacle Fiji has become.
It is irresponsible to just only narrowly focus on the current abhorrent institutionalized criminal conduct by the state.
Led by the grandfather of criminal conduct -treason!- by the Sona Rolex Snake. This imbecile serial adulterer, serial liar, set the current malise and curse, now an ingraimed scourge, in motion in 1987.
Lest we forget as is the want of ethno-nationalists and the so-called great council.
How’s about focusing on human rights, equal rights, freedom of religion, freedom from religion, strong push for second-class citizenship, and LGBTQI right for various minority communities. Not to mention strengthening women’s rights, child protection laws, and relooking at sentencing laws for heinous crimes, including for llicit drug importation and peddling.
The bed was made in May 1987, and our collective faith was lost. As indeed was as our collective fate was sealed.
The investigation into the murder of alleged ‘drug overlord, Jone Vakarisi’ is absolutely essential but it alarms me that those who knew him reframe a narrative about him without the acknowledgement of the criminal aspect and from what I have seen and read do so publicly which dismisses his criminal activities.
.
Repeatedly in Fiji public discourse appears to me to have a propensity to excuse people who should not be excused and that may be due of misguided loyalty or the ever present forgiveness card or lazy thinking.
We don’t want people to say he got what he deserved but more truthfully he lived a life that had a high probability of leading to a bad outcome. From my perspective, I don’t want to read he was a very good father and friend because that’s irrelevant as far as I am concerned when you are an alleged drug overlord who lived off the profits of misery .
1-Legal consideration:
Murder vs Manslaughter
2-Views sympathetic to the deceased suggesting that the drug dealers are only meeting a need and a Demand for the (illegal) drugs. Spare me. The drug makers and the suppliers are no philanthropic angels meeting community needs. It’s greed. Easy money. Lucrative. With devastating consequences to the addicted user and those around them, whether family, friends or strangers.
It seems like much irrational thinking and emotional hysteria is being applied to processing this event
The extra judicial loss of life is a separate matter… Views on this are a reflection of how society approaches the issue of good vs evil and how to address relevant drugs issues which are at levels which threaten the very existence of a well functioning civil society.
He was murdered. There is no element of self defence that would justify this being downgraded to manslaughter. And the police have already ruled out that notion.
‘He should resign.’
As noble a sentiment that might be, in reality, the commander must resign.
Not should.
Or be dismissed.
And decommissioned.
His ranked must be deactivated with all post-service benefits withdrawn.
A dishonorable discharge with prejudice.
We all know that not one of the above will happen. The pussy-footing and nudge- nudge-wink-wink will remain as the modus operandi.
This tin-pot, self decorated, third-world Brigadier General will never face a military court marshall, nor criminal negligence charge in public court system.
Not with the current imbeciles at odpp, police, and with shalenshi and the rest of the judiciary.
Too many kilavata, kaivata, and totavata, and vuvale in the mix for anyone to fall on their sword, as it were.
Short of this BS BG’s resignation or dismissal, he must be suspended with an independent inquiry paneled by the ICC or at the very least, made up of Scandinavia jurists not aligned to any of Fijian neo-colonialists countries.
Our courts, let’s just say, are not independent nor are Shaleshni Temo nor do his equally worthless supporting cast have the capability or the capacity to handle complex matters without neo-colonialists visiting jurists’ help.
Fijian military has long been to prone to and revel in false bravado. With tin medals and grand lapels and scrambled eggs hats, all bestowed for “services” and inflated ranks. All for non active combat; peace keeping is not active combat.
To be sure, this killing did not happen in a vacuum. No, sir. When state institutions are saffed by family, friends, old boys network, and provincialism, not merit based, corrupted broken and vandalized to the extent we have now, then human rights violations will happen with impunity.
And immunity. There is no accountability.
Breavement leave excuse is neither here nor there. He is commander 24/7.
In contrast, Australia recently charged their most decorated living soldier for 5 counts of murder. While in active duty. In a war. Combat zone. Killing defenseless Afghanistani when there was no reason to. For fun. War crime. No court marshall BS cover-up. Charged by the federal government to appear in public courts.
Accountability.
At the current rate of drug offence the country would be better off implementing capital punishment for crimes that exceed the tolerance threshold…It works in Singapore and it sure as hell would make these people think twice before committing offences. A firing squad would be apt’ with the public permitted to attend as witness if they so choose!