It is now more than a week since the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, received two copies of the Ashton-Lewis Commission of Inquiry Report into the “rotten circumstances” of the appointment of Barbara Malimali as FICAC Commissioner – one the full report with legally-sensitive content and two, a redacted version for immediate public consumption.
How are the two versions different? One contains all the gruesome details of the corruption Justice David Ashton-Lewis has uncovered in the Coalition government and offices of state and his recommendations on what should be done to address that corruption. And the other is some of the gruesome details extracted because they may be the subject of criminal proceedings but with the recommendations nonetheless intact.
Needless to say, even the redacted version is said to be explosive, including alleged evidence of wrongdoing by government ministers, Barbara Malimali herself and the man at the pinnacle of the judiciary – the Chief Justice, Salesi Temo. As Grubsheet has long reported, nothing is going to prevent the Ashton-Lewis report from being made public. The Prime Minister can either do it himself and fulfill his public duty to give the Fijian people access to the truth or it will be leaked and expose a cover-up that will dog the Coalition all the way to the next election.
Unfortunately, worrying signs are starting to emerge that the Coalition isn’t going to release the report despite the Prime Minister saying publicly that it should be. What signs? Well apart from the delay, the Prime Minister warning people not to fall for “fake news”, including publicly naming perennial “naughty boy”, Ben Padarath, as a purveyor of fake news. Now why would anyone, let alone the Prime Minister, be giving any credence at all to Ben Padarath? No-one has ever done so before.
Others like the Queen of Tarts, Lynda Tabuya, have picked up the PM’s refrain. “Fake news, fake news!”, she wails. Well she would, wouldn’t she? Because she is still trying to pass off her antics with Aseri Radrodro in Room 233 as “fake news” when they were so real that she was stripped of the PAP’s deputy leadership.
Why the sudden emphasis on “fake news” now? Is it setting the scene for a massive Trumpian-style propaganda campaign to discredit anyone who deviates from what the government might say if it chooses the path of discrediting Justice Ashton-Lewis and his findings and tries to ride out the ensuing scandal? Do not rule out the possibility because a great many people – not least those adversely mentioned – are desperate that the COI report never sees the light of day.
For the moment, the COI through its Counsel Assisting, Janet Mason, is sticking to the line that it expects the Report to be released and is asking the public for patience. But the clock is clearly ticking and with every single opposition politician now demanding the Report’s release, that patience is wearing thin.
On the question of “fake news”, it would be foolish in the extreme for the Coalition to think it can survive the public opprobrium of choosing to suppress the COI Report by attempting to shoot the messengers.
They have started to target Ben Padarath and the former Vatis FijiFirst propagandist, Arnold Chanel, but go beyond that to include the likes of Grubsheet and Victor Lal at Fijileaks and it gets a lot more complicated. Because Victor Lal and I have a record of backing up what we say with original source documents on which the Fijian people can draw their own conclusions.
I am going to make a bold prediction. It is as certain as night follows day that we will eventually publish Justice Ashton Lewis’s findings, just as we have published all manner of documentary evidence that damns this government and its lackeys in the offices of state.
Here’s just one example for the consideration of those government strategists tempted to run a Donald Trump-style campaign to depict established fact as “fake news” and muddy the waters in the election leader-up. It is documentary evidence of one of the biggest scandals of this government – its unconscionable decision a year ago to grant MPs an average 238 per cent increase in pay and perks when more than half the nation lives in poverty.
Here at Grubsheet, we’ll be laying out documentary evidence like this in the election lead-up to demonstrate that the Coalition parties do not deserve another term. And rest assured that we will be doing the same with relevant sections of the COI Report. It will be all there in black and white and any accusations of “fake news” will be exposed for what they are. Just another Coalition lie.
As the Prime Minister wrestles with the decision about whether to come clean with Justice Ashton-Lewis’s finding, here’s some salutary advice from “Honest Abe” – Abraham Lincoln – the US President who was as far away from Donald Trump in basic decency and integrity as it is possible to be.
Qori. Sitiveni Rabuka and his advisors ignore “Honest Abe” at their peril. Most Fijians are not fools and long ago realised that the Coalition is very good at feathering its own nest and hopeless at delivering benefits for ordinary people.
They are also sick and tried of being manipulated and seeing their institutions trashed. An estimated $2-million of taxpayer funds has been spent on the Commission of Inquiry and the Fijian people want to see the result. Anyone who gets in the way of that will pay a heavy price, the Prime Minister included. So just get on with it or else.
It’s possible that Rabuka is delaying the release in order that those who know they are implicated have time to put their house on the market, gather their belongings and book tickets to somewhere.
This saves him the from having to work at ‘stop departure’ notices and getting his hands dirty. He gives anyone who is dumb enough to think he will look after them the time to realise that if they are still here on the day the findings are released, then they won’t be leaving.
It’s a subtle ‘nudge nudge, wink wink’ and allows him to once more wash his hands in public and achieve the purge he can’t bring himself to carry out.
So where’s the 30% deduction of salaries that the DPM Professor Biman and the coalition government was going to implement after the 2022 GE?
ALL bullshit – they are all there for themselves and if they really care for the people in informal settlements then they should provide 50% of their gross salaries to these settlements to assist in the installations of better sewerage line, power lines and access roads
People should vote wisely in this GE2026 – Vote for the people who will halve their pay and donate to the development of squatter settlements into formal settlements with better housing, infrastructures and utilities
The PM should release COI report for the people to see the real situation of LAW in the country, how they (custodians of the LAW) are ruling themselves to enjoy flashily living standards while 70% of the population suffer quietly ….ISA O VITI!
@ kaviti not happy
“Informal settlements” is a recently concocted politically correct misnomer and one that cultivates false hope.
While town and city property owners pay rates/taxes on these properties, squatting free rides to demand all services at the expense of rate payers. Hard truths are hard to swallow.
These setllers are squatters/squatting on land not belonging to them. End of. No matter if you’ve lived there for 30, 40 years as claimed. There is simply no evidence-based proof of such claims. If there was, squatting does not make one the owner.
When the rubber hits the road, reality bites, and it’s time to face the truth. Get off the land you do not own or have any rights to. Leave. Enough living for free on other people’s property.
To suggest that the government should “develop” the squatter settlements with roads, sewer, etc is absurd. The government does not own these lands.
Squatting by native Fijians is a paradoxical situation if ever there was one. They own 95% of land in Fiji, for crying out loud.
Native land owners have no hesitation in kicking out tenants from their own land yet cry for help when they themselves are squatting (illegal occupation) on private property.
People can’t have it both ways. The same human rights that apply to farm tenants apply to squatting. No one helped you move in to squat. Why then must illegal occupation expect help to move out.
No one is there to help your tenants you so gleefully boot out. No amount of reasoning, begging, pleading, crying by tenants getting kicked out softens the christian native land owners’ hearts – no empathy, no mercy is shown. At least tenants paid rent to native landowners on legal leases.
Get off other people’s land and move to the lands you so proudly own yet abandon. Don’t cultivate false hopes living on others’ property. Go cultivate your land and start over.
Tens of thousands of acres of idle land remain undeveloped, worthless, selfishly, and self-centeredly held with pride and yet in poverty.
Use sea resources in the traditional “fishing grounds,” whatever that means. Tell the fish you own them too to prevent the pesky bastards from moving around.
Squatter settlements have been there since the 1970s and yet successive governments never did anything to assist them in the formal acquisition of some of these lands for low-cost housing developments…my point is why we never assist to erase squatter settlements in Fiji …land tenure is one thing, but the will of the government to assist our low income earners is paramount for the betterment of our people…stop your selfish interest and think about the big picture…it is more than 50 years and succession governments have done very little to the squatter people who are also the citizens of this country…have some mercy on the poor people and stop your selfish attitude to this real problem…
@KNH— selfish or not, simple point is move out from land that does not belong to the occupiers.
The contention of successive governments not helping “these poor people,” is because these are private property.
Government must use government-owned land to develop low income housing.
Question is: good luck to government finding the money to build free housing. Bagasau. Raiwaqa. Nabua. These are examples of housing developments to encourage families to progress and move to better homes on their own.
They were designed to be starting points. Not koro style living.
Instead, these estates have become generational housing attracting crime, violence, drugs, and transient thugs.
This may sound selfish as native landowners are. People cannot be expected to give away property for free to government or anyone else.
Peace.
Asked how he felt when called to represent the country, Waisale Serevi said “I grab the opportunity not with one hand but with both hands”. Let us see if CJ has firmly grabbed and gripped PM and his ‘all using not one but both hands.
It was written on the cards that this corrupt government would do everything under the sun to prevent the report from seeing the light of the day.
The only way out of this is for the uncensored version to be leaked so the people of Fiji all know what’s in the report. The government won’t be able to run once the report is leaked as the people will ask questions.
There is already significant public interest in the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report — not just for confirming whether Barbara Malimali’s appointment as FICAC Commissioner followed proper procedures, but even more so for what it could reveal about alleged misconduct by the Chief Justice and senior Coalition government ministers.
Now, the nation waits for the President’s decision — not only on whether to accept and act on the recommendations, but also on whether the report will be made public.
Speculation is running wild, and while the rumours swirl, one thing is certain: this report is expected to unmask some high-profile individuals who, until now, have evaded accountability.
All eyes are now on Prime Minister Rabuka. Will he rise to the occasion and act decisively on the COI’s recommendations? Or will he once again falter? Failure to act would be a betrayal of public trust — and the people must not turn a blind eye to that.
Time is ticking. The truth must come out — and justice must follow.
Nothing will change. No action will be taken. Case in point, the drunk brawling corrections donkey.
The longer the report is delayed the more the interest in it. And the increasing speculation that there is much in it that certain people want suppressed.
This blockbuster report has had such a build up to it , it better be this years Oscar winner – and it should be released soon at a Village Cinema near you. Not censured. No edits. Get the popcorn and kava basin ready.
On another note, the latest constitutional reference has been filed… Curious times ahead. Wait till you see the questions!