The sooner Christopher Pryde is reinstated as DPP and Elizabeth Rice is reinstated as his assistant the better off Fiji will be given the extraordinary conduct of the “white” Rice’s replacement at today’s sentencing of Frank Bainimarama and Sitiveni Qiliho.
Laisani Tabuakoro is way out of line with her belligerent conduct and unrestrained and inappropriate comments in court. Last week she was yelling at Frank Bainimarama’s lead counsel, Devanesh Sharma, and being openly discourteous to his “second”, Gul Fatima, as well as the Magistrate Seini Puamau.
And today, when Tabuakoro didn’t get the maximum jail sentences she had demanded in the pre-sentencing submissions, she unloaded on the Magistrate, describing her sentences as “disgraceful”. It was an astonishing outburst unprecedented in recent judicial memory and demonstrates that Laisani Tabuakoro is unfit to be Assistant DPP and must be removed as a matter of urgency. When histrionics take the place of reason in the criminal justice system, we are on the slippery slope to the rule of law of the jungle.
It is the role of prosecutors to lay out the state’s submissions unemotionally and with proper decorum, not treat the proceedings in the courts as bear pits to parade their particular prejudices and political preferences. Comparing Tabuakoro with Elizabeth Rice and the equally distinguished former state prosecutor, Janita Prasad – who resigned and left Fiji after Christopher Pryde was suspended – is like comparing responsible grown-ups with a tantrum-throwing toddler.
Laisani Tabuakoro is a walking, breathing example of the folly of getting rid of professional senior lawyers with judgment to prosecute cases on behalf of the state and replacing them simply on the basis of ethnicity. Yes, she is iTaukei and has been put there to satisfy the preferences of the Coalition government and its outrageous program of workplace ethnic cleansing. But she is already proving to be a disaster in the same way as her boss, the illegal Acting DPP, John Rabuku.
That according to Laisani Tabuakoro, John Rabuku ordered her not to remain in the court today for the one minute’s silence for the late Acting DPP, Ratu David Toganivalu, speaks volumes for the nature of these two miserable individuals and their wilful defiance of iTaukei customs of respect for the dead and those who have faithfully served the state.
They must both go and if they don’t go before Christopher Pryde is reinstated, then his first act when he walks back into Gunu House with his “Keep Calm and Carry On” sign must be to teach them a lesson in respect and proper professional conduct and show them the door. Because any sense of calm left the building when Christopher Pryde was suspended.
NOTE: While contemporary media reports (see below) identified the ADPP as “Losalini” Tabuakoro, it has been brought to Grubsheet’s attention that her name is Laisani Tabuakoro. This article has been altered accordingly.
She is an emotional wreck and an embarrassment, and way out of her depth. I’m surprised Puamau did not hold her in contempt.
Well what can you expect when only the dumb are recruited by the office of the DPP.
Sit back and enjoy the clowns of this circus.
It really showed the depth of unqualified and inexperienced mockery on show.
Illegally appointed Rabuku is already running around filing for a rehearing of the same case.
Do these lunatics think that the judiciary is a village centre and a show for the stupids!
It is unbelievable what is going on.
A complete outright no respect for the ruling by the High Court.
Children are dying without medicine in the hospitals. Stop wasting money and focus on what needs doing. Playing this stupid witch hunt has again come to an embarrassing legacy of this Coalition and its useless AG.
Rabuku, just do something better. Your record is so poor.
You are illegally appointed.
No amount of running to the courts with change the decision of the judges.
You are like a little boy begging for importance and candy.
Your action further dampens investor confidence where law is being treated like a joke.
Stop.
They got 2 women to do their dirty work. One was the judge and that backfired. And now this entitled i-taukei Tabuakoro. They think the law belongs to them. This is the sort of low life thugs running the judiciary system in Fiji.
I have just told my family that we are keeping out of Fiji for the next few years. This place is dangerous. Nigeria of the Pacific.
Hats off to Magistrate Seini Puamau.
This woman stood her ground.
And hope this teaches all legal professionals that the law not be twisted for Rabuku and anyone else.
Bainimarama is coming back.
Stronger this time.
Do not be fooled by the power he holds.
Hey Grubsheet, she was so frustrated, she knew that she was going to have her bum kicked by Siromi and Rabuku for losing this case. That’s why she flew into a fit of rage ????
Rabuku says, “the learned Magistrate erred in law…”
So he is reappealing the case.
This is the change.
The show just keeps rolling with this ars of an ADPP.
How about doing some real work Rabuku! Because Fijians are tired of this all.
Losalini Tabuakoro has no moral value and code of ethics. She has lost the case twice for the state. There isn’t any substantial evidence and yet the ADPP and his thugs want Bainimarama jailed. They are putting their hands in the bees nest. If the Government changes in 2026. These lawyers will have no place to hide. FijiFirst must be busy as the saying goes (sharpening one’s knife).
The coalition seems to have a lot of say and Losalini is under pressure to deliver. If a therapist had to evaluate her, she would be suffering from failure and dejection. That’s how her temper takes toll over her inside the courtroom. She is lucky Puamau didn’t ban her from her courtroom. She also breached courtroom code of conduct and disparaged the judge with her ill tempered remarks about Bainimarama and Qiliho’s sentencing.
Her face sums up her feeling. That is a feeling of a war that has been lost. The ADPP must be biting tooth n nails to please his Sire.
The pathetic and illegal Acting DPP has already filed an appeal in a rush. Who is he trying to impress? The people or his bosses? The grounds for appeal will be thrown out by a right thinking judge. And it cannot again be the Chief Justice because now the judge needs to be an independent person.
The Acting DPP has let loose 5 drug traffickers who are involved in the biggest drug bust in the country’s history because they were “minor players”, and he wants to jail people who have served the country for decades on trumped up charges. The guy is a joke but the people of Fiji are not only blind but they are stupid. They do not even know they are stupid.
Sitiveni Rabuka is a joke. His plan is to eliminate political opponents so that he can hold onto power. But, to do what? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. This is the do nothing PM. The worst government in the history of Fiji. This whole court case is a political witch-hunt and a waste of taxpayers money. Shame Rabuka shame!
Shame, shame, shame.
Shame on Rabuka, Rabuku and their little sweet sidekick, Losalini.
FijiFirst is not going anywhere.
They have awakened the lion so get ready for the bite too.
Bring it on is what the majority of the Fijians are saying.
Sharma and Fatima are truly an intelligent duo.
There is no comparison between the smarts and the dumbs in Fiji’s legal systems. And it shows 100%.
Losalini, just learn. You have a long (or very short) way to go.
Tabuakoro must now scoot back to her AG and Minister Brutal. They might be of help.
God what has Fiji become.
These guys will do anything to make an innocent person and their family suffer.
This news is everywhere on global media. Fiji portrayed as a nation in crisis whole week. What are they all doing? Sit on fat taxpayer salaries and achieve nothing. The Coalition has too much interference now and it is unconstitutional. Very very dangerous.
Oh really
Should ADPP be be replaced
Someone else should be replaced
Few years back a officer took 40 dollars in bribe
Bought some diapers for his baby and food
He was sentenced to a year in prison
Too many commentators but none are realistic
Normally, we’d say “Vinaka vakalevu, Turaga” to acknowledge divine intervention in whatever it maybe.
But following the Magistrate’s judgment today , we can again say “Vinaka vakalevu, Turaga” to credit the failure of the court to that high-flying lawyer at Suvavou House!
Lo we all know that you’re reading this, and reaching for the customary glass while spewing your incoherent babble (a trailer of which the court saw today).
I can’t remember Lo, but did you pass the first law unit at uni? You know where we all were taught among other things that the courtroom is sacrosanct as are officers of the court. Hence the term “learned” to address who we all see as colleagues and respect worthy.
You’re an absolute disgrace to the profession based on your hysterics today. The learned magistrate may have let you off, but believe me, your masters, Buka and Buku will not.
Tic. Tic. Tic.
Seriously, get a grip folks. The magistrate has delivered her ruling. Hats off to her – she did her job as objectively as possible, without fear or favour.
Now these newbies on directive of their masters are trying to make a mockery of the system, like seriously!
This is a witch-hunt and you guys are increasing the lack of confidence in Fiji overseas and locally.
What are you doing for people who voted you in who are suffering as a result of flooding, hike in food prices, high crime rates, terrible medical facilities, lack of basis needs like access to clean water etc?
Get your priorities right. STOP wasting taxpayers funds! Sa rauta.
If anything, what is happening to current reported corruption cases like charter of Fiji Airways flight, Girmit Funds, Lynda’s weed and sex saga, corruption cases against Ministers and PSs?
It’s clear you have a vendetta to serve.
Please focus on people’s needs, they’re suffering.
Stop making a mockery of the system and focus on real issues and take the country forward.
You guys are totally failing and sending clear messages on your inability to govern and your incompetency is showing.
There is nothing good to show for that you have achieved on your own, absolutely null. People are losing confidence in you except for mere handful of fickle-minded who make sounds of an empty drum coz they can be easily brainwashed, are full of vengeance or have an agenda to serve!
What a bunch of clowns.
Bula Losa, learn to give some respect to Sharma. He’s the principal of the school where you’re still a freshman.
You have a long way to go.
Graham, it would’ve been great if you were on FB and more people reading this.
Losalini probably got her Law degree through the I-Taukei Affairs Scholarship.
No investor will believe in Fiji now ! We are a failed state and the public prosecution of political winners who by the way won the most votes in the last elections (FFP now being conveniently forgotten )is very telling !!
Rabuka you are a shame ! An old feeble man who is not only a liar but a liability to Fiji! Throwing people into jail when you are the one that should be in prison for all your acts of 1987, the rape of innocent women, ethnic cleansing of the civil service, nepotism with your cronies, ordered killing of politicians and CEO’s you didn’t like then etc!! We still remember and yes we know !!
You have a history Rabuka and it’s becoming clearer by the day!
Know this! More and more voters now hate you and disrespect you !
You ordered your people to cut the water supply of the Vunivalu of Bau Ratu Epenisa Cakobau two weeks ago at Mataiwelagi!! Why? Because Rt Epenisa refused to entertain you being confirmed as a life Member of the Great Council of Chiefs! Only after alarm was raised by the people of Tailevu did Manoa Kamikamica fly to reconnect water yesterday via WAF workers!!
Rabuka, your government issued a $25,000 bill to the Vunivalu saying that was unpaid bill since 1982. Yes since the former Governor General built his home on Bau and had this water connected! You ignored to honor the Agreement in place that the Former Governor General in recognition of his status in Fiji and his services to the nation would always have his water bill waved!
Your directives to punish Rt Epenisa and send him and his family a message that you can affect their lives in dangerous show of power is illegal and will now cost you !! The people of Tailevu will know !! You have disrespected their paramount chief in an unthinkable manner to deprive them of basic water for two whole weeks !!
It is now well known that you Rabuka are effectively putting in place an ethnic cleansing again! Worse, you’ve also worked on the tribal advancement of your people from Vanua Levu!
The cunning man you are, along with your Speaker the Tui Cakau and your kinsmen President Williame Katonivere, you are using Viti Levu people, those from Tailevu in fact to prosecute their own kinsmen. First it was the late David Toganivalu a Bauan prosecuting Bainimarama. Now it’s another Bauan the illegal John Rabuku. Witnesses are Rusiate Tudravu once Chairman of the Tailevu Provincial Council! That’s always the plot . Kill their opponents using their own kinsmen to avoid any fingers or traces back to CBM!
What a shame ! I’m hanging my head in absolute horror and shame !
Respect is given when it is due.
Now Biman has come to say the Wailoku water pipe is due to neglect. He is a lost soul and an fugly one. That Wailoku seal broke because of torrential rain and climatic conditions. Biman has no idea how red (clay and talasiga soil works)
Wonder how he corrupted his way in getting a Dr. Degree. He is clueless how nature works. How do you fix something when it was in a well condition to begin with? You can only fix things when it gets broken.
He should first start fixing those lovo pits rather than blaming previous Government. His IQ is very low for a Finance Minister. Everytime he opens he mouths to speak he either mumbles his speech or he repeats the same things.
It is generally a flawed assumption to make that an academic or theorist would make a great doer, or someone who can actually practically roll their sleeves up metaphorically and repair , fix or create something.
Society usually makes a professor almost god like. In some instances it may hold true but usually in social sciences like economics, the more theoretical or higher educated the person becomes the more useless that person can be in a practical way to society! There are many educated who are fools when placed in the real world… And many people with degrees that cannot do what an experienced person without a formal qualification does.
The professor would have been “great” teaching impractical economics of little utilitarian use to his customers ie students ( other than a paper degree to show that they had passed and use that to try get a real job) and would have done well for himself in this charade.
But to expect an academic to be a great real world coach/ planner/ visionary has been shown in this case to be asking too much or asking a square peg to fit in a round hole.
##This is of course a generalised statement and there may be great theorists who could or have been equally good practically in those fields ##
Who is Losalini? The Acting DPP is Laisani Tabuakuro.
Please get the basic facts right.
Duly corrected. You will notice that the contemporary mainstream media reports referred to Ms Tabuakoro as “Losalini”. Having checked her LinkedIn profile, I have altered that to Laisani. Thank you for pointing this out.
Ms. Nancy Tikoisuva was the principal of John Rabuku’s law firm – Rabuku Lawyers. It’s anyone’s guess how she came to work in the ODPP when there is a clear conflict of interest. Wonder if Mr Rabuku declared this before taking her on board.