The President, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, has waited for eight days to acknowledge receiving the recommendations of the Judicial Tribunal that investigated the allegations of misbehaviour against the DPP, Christopher Pryde. He received them at 3.30PM on Monday December 23. But it is only after Christopher Pryde wrote to him today asking him to make the Tribunal’s recommendations public – as the Constitution stipulates – that Ratu Naiqama has said anything at all. And it is the most astonishing press release ever to be issued by a head of state in Fiji.
The constitutional requirement placed on the Tribunal is very simple. Either Christopher Pryde was guilty of misbehaviour over being photographed with Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum or he wasn’t. He was either guilty of receiving unauthorised superannuation payments or he wasn’t.
But the President of the Republic – in the face of the disclosure by Grubsheet that Christopher Pryde was exonerated by the Tribunal – simply drags his feet, saying that he has to have certain consultations before he meets his constitutional duty to declare the DPP guilty or innocent. What consultations? What deliberations? He has the Tribunal’s finding in front of him in black and white. Why is he dragging his heels?
We already know the answer to that, Fiji. The President and the triumvirate of evil that has taken over the Fijian state – which includes the Chief Justice, Salesi Temo, and the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka – are stalling because they haven’t got the judicial ruling they were looking for.
It is a shocking reflection on just how corrupt the State in Fiji has become. And it is simply inexcusable. Christopher Pryde deserves justice, not to have to keep waiting for a decision that the President received eight days ago and counting. And especially after he spent 21 months suspended on what now appear to be trumped up charges that do not meet the test of “misbehaviour”.
Naiqama Lalabalavu – the convicted criminal and child abuser who impregnated a 15 year old girl – is as unfit to be head of state as Salesi Temo is unfit to be Chief Justice and Sitiveni Rabuka is unfit to be Prime Minister. Whoever you are, get out of Fiji while you can. Because we now know that if you fall foul of the state, you cannot rely on justice to prevail.
Fiji has gone to an extremely dark place. And it is time for men and women of goodwill to stand together and say that we will not tolerate such conduct.
The President hasn’t even done the DPP the courtesy of replying to his letter earlier in the day asking him to release the Tribunal report.
This statement on Facebook has been in response to local media inquiries. So once again, expediency takes the place of principle and due process. The President is a disgrace.
And guess who else is corrupt, Fiji? CFL-Fiji-effing Village – the radio network owned by Rabuka loyalist William “Poo Poo” Parkinson and the PM’s personal propagandist, Matt Wilson.
Fiji Village carries the contents of the President’s media release without mentioning that he received the Tribunal report fully eight days ago and doesn’t mention Christopher Pryde’s letter at all. It’s as if it didn’t happen.
There is no hope for Fiji when the biggest commercial radio network has been bought and routinely manipulates its editorial coverage. And a priority for any incoming government after 2026 must be to strip CFL-Fiji Village of its licences.
Be careful what you wish for GD. ASK was calling out CFL/FT’s biased reporting but at that time it was purported as being an alternate view to FBC/FS. The true colours of a ‘liberated’ media is before our eyes which goes on to show the necessity of legislation such as MIDA. Till date, nobody has shown why it was ‘draconian’ except for a teary Stan Simpson. Am in no way saying the government to take a heavy handed approach to the media, but responsible and accurate reporting is the least that any media organization should be benchmarked against.
Thanks Grubsheet. We stopped reading Fiji local Web and News Papers, journalists etc (Lice). We’ve relied on you the most. We wish you a happy new year for 2025 and thank you again for your writing.
Yes, and Happy New Year to you. And vinaka vakalevu for your support!
Who might he be ‘consulting?’
The AG? SG? FICAC? The GCC? The ODPP? The Tribunal? The entire Cabinet? Rabuka? Justice baboon?
What the hell come on, just tell the country. The fact is this “president” has no authority except to carry out his duty t and announce the findings/decisions already.
The decision or the verdict- if that’s the right term, has been made. Does the president have powers to change the decision? I don’t think so!
Move it. Be a man. For once in your life be honest and do the honorable thing-release the Tribunal’s findings.
Consultation? PIGS ASS. These fu$kwits are planning the next course of action – how to ensure they don’t comply with the Tribunal’s findings.
Has someone done a check on the President’s Legal Advisor – Joeli Ditoka? What’s his experience and competency like? Was it based on MERIT or was the appointment based on Provincial links, family relationships, or…political affiliation?
I have stopped reading fijivillage, fijitimes and all mainstream media now for 2 years.
I only go to grubsheet and fijileaks now.
Congratulations on keeping the pressure on Lynda Tubuya.
Now for Temo and Rabuka.
Looking forward to 2025.
This immoral cabal are looking at all possibilities to save face. This is the obvious result when there are clowns and village idiots running government.
Legally the President has no power to over rule the tribunals findings. But who knows what these village idiots will connive.
Anyway, just to wish a very happy new year to you GD and the team. You’ve done unmatched work exposing this rotten government amongst many other things. Have a good.
Happy and prosperous new year to all the GS faithfuls.
Once again, thank you, GD, for your work that you are doing for Fiji. You are based in Sydney yet you are single handily better than the entire Fiji media, who have no idea what is public interest, and what to cover, let alone how. When it comes to major national and constitutional issues of this nature, they are utterly lost. It’s beyond their comprehension. None of them seem to understand background or context, or ask the key questions. Hopeless bunch of losers, the entire lot, including the so-called big guns of Fiji media, Stanley Simpson, Vijay Narayan and Fred Wesley, who are just full of talk. And they can’t even get the basics right. In their story on Christopher Pryde, FBC named Katonivere as President. Yes, that’s how pathetic they are. Whoever said that Fiji’s national media is a national disgrace is absolutely correct. The only thing they are good at is reproducing press releases.
Hate to say it, but I told you so..
Justice in Fiji? Nah, not anymore.
These people don’t even try to hide their wrongdoing anymore.
The government, the justice system, its all a joke, unfortunately the joke is on us.
Many thanks Graham for your decision to stick with it and carry on, it would seem that you are really the only one that we, the ones that hope for a better Fiji, can rely on to relay the true state of the nation and to try to get out the information that should be job of a true and honest Press. An institution that is derelict in its duty to the people of this country.
Take a day off and enjoy the time with your family and have a happy new year. AND please don’t ever underestimate your value to the people here with the work that you do, and the gratitude that we all have for the tireless effort you put into what you report.
I am sure every one of the right thinking people that read your work would join me in saying a huge thank you for all the time and effort you devote to this site. You deserve nothing less.
Please keep up the great work.
Fijians who run out of TP must remember, theres always fiji times available.
Thank you GD for the informative and accurate reporting even though its only from a web page. I have stopped reading any news from any papers in fiji. Grubsheet.com.au remains the only page i visit each morning.
#notmypresident
The office holder of the position of the President of Fiji should be reminded the person is unelected. The office holder is not a decision maker. It is a honorary figurative head of state position. Just do as the role is prescribed in the rulebook. Don’t make the rules or adjudicate. It’s not like being the president of the USA.
When i see this photo of the president, it is representative of Fiji truly. Fiji is limping with a walking stick if not 2. It has no evergy, it is every bit just hanging on. Its just waiting for the stick to snap and it will break its back.
How sad that our leaders are so ffffed up. Lynda is representative of the nakedness, immorality and the shamelessness that’s become the core of society in Fiji. Rabuka the weakness and I dont care attitude.
Biman is rep the ass kissing attitude culture. We are in ruin.
Yep, it’s a very pertinent statement about just how limp Fiji is going to be if this rotten and clueless mob are given the mandate to govern. Bunch of senile village idiots.