What is it about the NFP and its propensity to threaten litigation? Six months after the Chair of the Coalition’s Fiscal Review Committee, Richard “I have the means” Naidu, threatened to sue Grubsheet for defamation, the NFP leader, Biman Prasad, is threatening to sue a gaggle of opposition politicians for having the temerity to criticise his handing of Girmit commemorations.
Is Richard Naidu‘s law firm, Munro Leys, going to represent Biman Prasad? That remains to be seen. But the NFP leader and Richard Naidu are certainly trigger happy when it comes to responding to legitimate criticism with the threat of a law suit.
Whatever the merit of the allegations against Biman Prasad – which include an alleged conflict of interest in approving payments of public money to his wife to organise Girmit commemorations – it is an extremely bad look for politicians or politically-affiliated persons to sue anyone. When you go into public life, a completely different set of circumstances applies to that of other citizens when it comes to public scrutiny and that is accepted in most legal jurisdictions.
Politics is no place for individuals with glass jaws. Those who dish it out clearly ought to be able to take it. But for whatever reason, senior members of the NFP in Fiji think they can use their ready access to the law as a blunt instrument to avoid scrutiny.
On November 2, 2023, Grubsheet received the accompanying letter from Richard Naidu threatening to sue me in the New South Wales courts for defamation for, among other things, questioning his evident conflict of interest in Munro Leys representing Fiji Water when as Chair of the Fiscal Review Committee, he recommended a corporate tax holiday for the company.
More than six months later – after I refused his demand for a retraction and apology on the grounds that he is a public figure and deserves scrutiny – proceedings have yet to be commenced.
Perhaps Biman Prasad – the man he advises, at least politically – has more resolve. But both need to develop thicker skins if they want to remain in public life.
Richard “I have the means” Naidu.
Naidu’s letter to Grubsheet on November 2, 2023.
FACT: Fiji Water had been a client of Richard Naidu’s law firm, Munro Leys, when as Chair of the government’s Fiscal Review Committee, he recommended a tax holiday for the company. He is still to publicly address the apparent conflict of interest.
FACT: Richard Naidu has been simultaneously a legal advisor and columnist for the Fiji Times.
FACT: Richard Naidu’s name is on a list of alleged members of the 1987 Indo-Fijian resistance movement that has been given to the Fiji Police for investigation. Grubsheet understands there are specific allegations relating to Naidu’s activities.
I again acknowledge and warmly thank the prominent lawyer, Devanesh Sharma, for his public offer to assist Grubsheet if Richard Naidu proceeds with his threat to sue me.
This guy Biman Prasad has lost the plot. He has no clue how to run a modern economy despite being a professor of economics. I was his first hand student at USP and the level of his teaching was really poor. Half the time he was talking about politics. He has temerity to throw personal rebuttals to those who criticise or question him. He has given $200k to his wife organisation without tenders being called which is clear breach of Finance Act and I wonder what’s taking FICAC so long to investigate this. He has appointed his cronies and failed NFP politicians on numerous boards and municipal council which reeks of nepotism. He has appointed Dr Nitesh Gounder of USP who is NFP supporter and brain behind Biman economic policies into senior role at Ministry of Economy without any job advertisement again clear breach of civil service act and abuse of office. He will certainly face charges once a new govt comes in and opens his can of worms.
You can criticise Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum all you like but at least if you wanted any information it was available on the Ministry of Economy’s website.
Statistical tables going back decades, policy statements, budget speeches, full budget papers over multiple years, and more.
All this was removed by Biman Prasad on coming into office. His website is a joke. All it contains are his own Ministry’s annual reports. So sad.
Little wonder he shows up for a radio interview with a measly spreadsheet rather than a full report demanded by the public.
He is so scared of truth that he removes all evidence of it from his own Ministry website.
Just from observation, Richard Naidu is really smart. He knew he duped the people of Fiji, made his money and pretty smoothly has gone into hiding. Occasionally appearing to pass on a sarcastic remark here and there.
Bimaan probably doesnt even realize the mess he and Sashi have become. Even if he did, he’s deputy PM and has the keys to our national coffers, so can’t escape the lenses.
Even Lynda now seems smarter than the good professor. She’s hidden since her Room 233 events came to light.
Oh Bimaan, you clueless guy. Enjoy the next 2.5 years. See how much damage you can do to Fiji and then maybe you too can sneak away to Australia as many vulagis are.
Looking at the NFP now, it reminds me of a childhood poem.
Humpty Dumpty.
NFP sat on a wall
NFP will have a great fall
All of NFPs lickers and all its kissers
Won’t be able to put NFP together again.
Can’t wait for 2026 to come. Hopefully by then Rabuka and Bimaan have left something of Fiji worth salvaging. But that’s again being hopeful. The way people are leaving Fiji, there may be a point of no return we will reach soon.
Unfortunately the way it is right now there will be nothing left to salvage post 2026. Even if a new government were to come in, no one would want to deal with a sinking economy, mass migration, aging population, decaying infrastructure, poor road conditions, dying sugar and tourism industry.
So in short, all those in Fiji who are stuck by choice or otherwise, the future is not looking too bright.
Biman Prasad, an alleged ‘seasoned’ politician, seems not to grasp that in the world of politics you are ‘fair game’ and will be subject to scrutiny on every decision, allocation of money and who you appoint to a position.
This is particularly true in his case given his strident criticism of any action of the previous Government. He seems to have, as Graham Davis puts it, a ‘thin skin’ when it comes to questions related to his actions, resorting to the threat of legal action. As with that comes the manta of – ‘don’t like the heat then stay out of the kitchen’.
No changes in the coming budget? Of course not, the Government with its policies (no criticism from Binman or NFP) aimed at making anyone not I-taukei a second class citizen has seen an exodus from Fiji rivalling 1987! Everything, if you believe their Facebook page and media releases, is rosy and the new dawn is nearly upon Fiji!
Yes as I said in an earlier post the Facebook page abounds with reports of meeting after meeting, conferences, Ministers and other travelling here there and everywhere, and Ministers flying to the four corners of the world. Has any of this improved the services and infrastructure of FIJI?
The reality is different. With 80,000+ leaving Fiji over the last 18 months and the exodus continuing, it will have a profound affect on the next budget, both in terms of revenue from taxes and VAT and flow through into the ability of Government to provide services (Teachers, Nurses, IT, and ancillary services) and improvements in Infrastructure.
There is also the question of how much does this Government cost to run? Why do you ask? The Civil Service is allegedly expanding in numbers, offices, IT, cars and rented space. All of that costs money! Not forgetting the 28 Ministers and Assistant Ministers plus their staff, cars, travel, phones etc….
It is also reliably reported that the Government has approached a number of overseas governments for budget support. Maybe they want them to fund their excesses, expansion and probably increasing debt?
All will be revealed on 28 June.
Totally agree with Nick and False Hope.
Showing a summarrised list of account on an excel spreadsheet is pathetic, coming from a “Professor ” of Economics. If the audited accounts including the approval and detailed expenditure listing from the cash given to GGI is available, why can’t that be presented in parliament. Why be so stubborn ?
And before playing the cassette on the FLP, remember that the FLP under the leadership of a great leader won a landslide election on its own, a feat the NFP has never achieved since 1970 and can never contemplate achieving.
Biman scurrying to get the police involved like a little b*tch. And that too regarding something fairly innocuous uttered by RINESH.
Rinesh has since cleared the air after BIMAN went barking up the wrong tree.
Biman going on the defensive is laughable.
This is clear indication that Biman knows too well the tenuous grip he and the CLOWN COALITION has.
What a joke.
If Richard’s firm represents Fiji Water and he was Chair of the Fiscal Committee it is the most basic practice point that he must declare his conflict of interest. If the Fiscal Review committee wrote a report this declaration of conflicts should be clearly stated in that report.
Has anyone checked this because surely the conflict of interest is declared in the report? To do otherwise and recommend tax holidays would be foolhardy in the extreme.
It is the most simple matter for this to be cleared up and Richard can simply explain the steps he took to declare the conflict of interest, point out where it is recorded and everyone can move on.
Precisely, Martin.
I am trying to think of a topic that is more in the public interest than public money either in the form of:
1. Decisions to give companies who operate in Fiji a “tax holiday”
2. Decisions to give tax payers money to entities.
I can’t think of any. So public interest = questions from the public.
Like a polar expedition, huge errors on day 1 will kill you on day 42.
Biman got his cronies into Boards, Fiji High Commissioner to India etc. but appears to have turned a blind eye to our minority young citizens. All 10 recipients of this year’s Duke of Edinburgh International Awards for Youths honoured at Government House yesterday had iTaukei names. Maybe replace the word International with Indigenous.