The Opposition Leader, Inia Seruiratu, has called for the suspension of the Chief Justice, Salesi Temo, in a dramatic escalation of the pressure on the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, and the President, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, to remove the head of the judiciary over the adverse findings against him by the Commission of Inquiry into the Barbara Malimali affair.
Seruiratu has called for the President, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister, to trigger Section 111 of the Constitution that provides for the suspension of the Chief Justice and the setting up of a tribunal of three judges to try him for misbehaviour.
Paramount, indeed. This is what Justice David Ashton-Lewis has recommended in his Report, which the Opposition leader is now calling on the government to release in full without redactions.
And these are the criminal charges the COI says Salesi Temo may have committed and require investigation. This section of the COI Report – Chapter 7 – has been withheld in the government’s release of the redacted version. But Seruiratu is demanding that it be made public, along with all names that have been redacted from the Report as a whole.
The position of the Chief Justice was already untenable before the Opposition Leader’s intervention – as Grubsheet has been saying since the Report was leaked – but it is now impossible to see how he can credibly continue to head the judiciary.
Inia Seruiratu may be weakened by the defections of many of his most important colleagues to the ranks of the government but he remains the official Opposition leader. And In any other democracy, a call by the Opposition for a chief justice to be suspended for misbehaviour would normally lead to his removal. Because Salesi Temo has ceased to have the confidence of the parliament as a whole. And in calling his integrity and independence into question, Inia Seruiratu has cast a pall over the judiciary as a whole.
In any other country, this would also be the big news. Yet some media outlets have ignored the Opposition leader’s call.
In the case of the Fiji Times, there is nothing in today’s (Friday) print version of the nation’s traditional newspaper of record and coverage is confined to its electronic version on the FT website. Yet it too plays down the call for the suspension of the Chief Justice.
Instead, the print version of the Fiji Times carries a scurrilous letter to the editor which is clearly in contempt of the COI – an attack on the credibility of a judicial inquiry. “600 plus pages of hearsay which reeks of colonialism”, is how it describes it.
There is also an attack on Justice David Aston-Lewis and the Counsel Assisting the COI, Janet Mason, with both of them falsely cast as “foreigners” (Janet Mason was born in Fiji).
It is an outrageous letter for which the Fiji Times – in any other democracy – would be brought to account. But it is just the latest attempt by the paper to erode the credibility of the COI and engage in blatant spin to degrade its importance.
Could it be because the paper’s legal advisor, Richard Naidu, is now in the firing line, along with his close associates, Biman Prasad and Fiji Law Society President Wylie Clarke?
Grubsheet is hearing that Naidu has been interviewed by the Police CID – along with Wylie Clarke – as part of its investigation into matters raised by the COI. Yet whatever the truth, for the Fiji Times to treat a formally constituted judicial inquiry in this manner is scandalous.
Also last night came this headline about the Deputy Prime Minister, Manoa Kamikamica.
For in-depth coverage of Manoa Kamikamica under the COI blowtorch, see our next article on Grubsheet.
And a reminder of what it says in Section 111 of the Constitution.
POSTSCRIPT:
For a powerful denunciation of the mainstream media’s treatment of the COI – including the corrupt Fiji Times – Grubsheet strongly recommends the following article by award-winning journalist Victor Lal at Fijileaks.
Finally, a voice from out in the wilderness. Hopefully he sticks with his campaign to get action against the corrupt CJ and doesn’t waver from his commitment and keeps up the pressure until it is too hard to brush under the carpet.
Maybe even the Press will have to report on it and accept that they have a job to do!!
One can live in hope.
Obstructing and perverting course of justice….. temo should be in prison for this because that’s for the same reason Bainimarama and former police commander got the sentence from this racist temo
Governance in Fiji continues to suffer due to a constrained and compromised media landscape as well.
Media ownership and journalistic practices are under pressure, with content increasingly aligned with government narratives.
Investigative reporting and critical scrutiny—especially on governance and accountability—are notably absent, as seen in the limited media perspective on the recent Commission of Inquiry (COI) report.
State funding to certain media outlets, justified as support for public broadcasting, appears to have compromised editorial independence.
Some outlets seem reluctant to criticize the government, fearing loss of financial support. As a result, figures like Vijay Narayan, Stanley Simpson, and Fred Wesley are perceived as overly sympathetic to the government, raising concerns about media neutrality. They criticize the previous government to gain favor from the current government.
Serious allegations against Chief Justice Temo, including those mentioned in the COI report, have been met with silence from both the media and the Fiji Law Society—highlighting institutional reluctance to pursue accountability within the judiciary.
The COI itself, initiated by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and led by respected jurist Justice Lewis, followed proper legal processes.
Criticizing the report solely due to unfavorable findings undermines its integrity. Personal attacks on Justice Lewis, are irresponsible.
Critics such as Graham Leung, once a senior legal figure, must prioritize legal accuracy over personal or political interpretations. Leung’s criticism rings hollow considering his ineffectiveness as Attorney-General—his dismissal by Rabuka was justified.
Those named in the COI report for allegedly obstructing justice or abusing office should be immediately suspended to allow for a thorough investigation. FICAC must also be reformed, starting with the appointment of an impartial and qualified Commissioner, given doubts about the acting leadership’s integrity.
Ultimately, the responsibility lies with the Prime Minister. While selective actions have been taken, his silence on other serious matters signals a lack of leadership, integrity, and genuine concern for the country’s governance.
This opposition leader is not worth the salt.
Yes man in last government with less than 1000 votes.
One of the ducklings where he could listen to smiles.
Getting 200k for doing nothing.
He too would have crossed the floor if he wasn’t chosen as opposition leader.
His other 2 comrades have.
Born out of coup.
Saw him dancing to the tune of Aiyaz Saiyed Khaiyum in Fijian parliament circus.
This opposition leader is abysmal! But has finally found his voice, albeit a bit late!
In a democracy a finding against a Chief Justice result in their suspension or removal, but not in Fiji.
It is clear that the COI report has found the CJ to be the instigator of the FICAC and ODPP messes! Whilst he remains in place the degrading of Justice in Fiji will continue. His presiding over it is littered with nepotism and bias. Both of which should never happen.
The flip-flop PM is again showing he is spineless when it comes to the hard decisions, running away to Australia with his military mates to avoid the mess he created in the first place.
I will predict now that when he presides over their case, he finds the former AJ and SOE guilty and having done so sentences them to prison for greater than 1 year so as to ensure that in the case of the former AG he has not opportunity to return to the political arena.
There is enough material in the public domain for the Chief Justice to voluntarily step aside.
Did anyone else have a giggle that the media reported Sweetcheeks’ phone had been seized and didn’t see the irony in also reporting that their calls to him went unanswered. Weilei.