Lynda Tabuya‘s file at FICAC for allegedly under-reporting her income to the Elections Office was closed by her friend Barbara Malimali in highly questionable circumstances that are still resonating many months later. Yet not only has FICAC reportedly re-opened its investigation, the corruption watchdog is also destined to be slavering all over La Tabuya’s ample form after fresh allegations that she has rorted her official expenses with what appears to be a classic case of double dipping.
The “Minister for Propaganda, Bonking and Weed” is one of several government ministers who spent Fiji Day overseas last month at an all up cost – according to the Prime Minister – of almost $65,000. But further questions are being raised about the sizeable allocation for Lynda Tabuya’s visit to the Fijian community on the Limestone Coast of South Australia.
Here’s what she was there for…
And here’s how much it cost the taxpayer, according to the Prime Minister’s written answer to a parliamentary question.
The problem is that La Tabuya’s hosts in South Australia have come forward to say that they paid for the entire visit.
So Lynda Tabuya has her knickers around her ankles (again) and she and the Prime Minister have some serious explaining to do, amid calls for the corruption watchdog to go after her famous derrière.
Oh dear.
We shouldn’t hold our breaths about the Prime Minister taking any action at all but that doesn’t stop FICAC from wielding its blowtorch. And given that it is currently the killing season at FICAC HQ at the Rev John Hunt House, we can be sure that Sitiveni Rabuka‘s favourite Minister is about to feel the heat.
And to think that she might have got away with it but for a formal question in the parliament from the ever watchful Premila Kumar. It’s why parliamentary scrutiny is so important for keeping these bastards honest.
$65,000 for seven ministers, including the Prime Minister, to spend one day celebrating with the diaspora in Australia and New Zealand. And that doesn’t include the more than $200,000 spent on the President, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu’s, lavish tour of the US, Britain, the Vatican, Ireland and the Gulf (so far because India is to come). SEE BELOW.
But if Lynda Tabuya has pocketed more than $11,000 of taxpayer funds when her hosts in South Australia say they paid for her entire visit, she must not only feel the FICAC blowtorch. The Prime Minister must immediately dismiss her as Minister for Information and propel her back to the backbench to sit alongside Manoa Kamikamica and Biman Prasad.
The Fijian people are simply fed up with the whole lot of them for their appalling excesses when so many ordinary citizens are struggling to even feed themselves. Scandalous.
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POSTSCRIPT:
Lynda Tabuya’s nephew – the Online Safety Commissioner, Filipe Batiwale – has commissioned a new song called “Loving Hands”.
At first glance, I thought it must have been a paean or song of praise to his Aunty. But not so. It’s actually part of a campaign to discourage online malice, though what “Loving Hands” has got to do with Internet policing isn’t immediately obvious.
Anyway, something to brighten your day in these dark times.
NOTE TO READERS:
For a massive volume of material in our ongoing series on “the Adventures of the Queen of Tarts”, simply type “Lynda Tabuya” into the Grubsheet search engine on the right.
Best to set aside the rest of the day to wade through it all.
UPDATE FRIDAY AM:
The Prime Minister reveals the astonishing cost of the President’s global tour.
“Father of the Nation”? That paedophile, treasonous creep?
Yes, it ought to be goodbye to both chief and subject on this miserable performance. What a disgrace.
Yes and no I dunno know, we should have let her claim that 11 grand then belt her. That biatxch will now make a story and claim she didn’t claim that amount.
In the best of traditions in Fiji politics, denial is confirmation.
The 65k number pulled out of his crinkly ass is—as usual- plain BS. The Snake does not include business class travel all the way and back for each traveler, five-star hotel costs, breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus cocktails and other miscellaneous expenses.
Australia and indeed Europe are not affordable to ordinary weekly-paid workers in Fiji. We know Sydney is among the most expensive cities in the world.
The true amount wasted meeting and seeking voter-support among the itaukei will never be known. But it sure ain’t 65k.
More like closer to 165k if not more.
So yeah, about the cost of a gold Rolex wristwatch Sona Rolex, albeit you got that for free, just as everything else you got for free.
For once in your sorry life, Mr Snake, please make an effort speak without a forked tongue.
PS- sorry for the being a buzz kill, but Lynduh Vonu Weed and Bonking is untouchable. Not saying untouched, or untouchable for her looks, but FICAC will not go near her. Rambaku will kick FICAC’s ass.
This Coalition Government is best known for spending lavishly and without any associated returns. Firstly, increase their pay and Baimaan is on record saying that first thing we will do when in Government is slash Ministers/MPs Salaries, reduce their various allowances etc.Cant hide behind the fact that NFP did not support it, but you all benefited. No one has returned a single cent. Nothing happened, in fact the opposite.
The first government where almost everyone is a Minister. What was the justification for these Ministers to go to different Countries to celebrate Fiji Day? That is why we have High Commissioners to represent the Govt at official functions.
The Pedo President has reached another level of spending. It is payback trips for the Snake’s Chief before he exits planet earth. The only place he should officially go is to visit soldiers on Peacekeeping duties as their Commander in Chief.
PM’s usual answer is that these funds come from line ministries budget. Makes me laugh hearing this. The idiot doesn’t know that though it comes from the budget, it is hard earned taxpayers fund and doesn’t need to be spent if there is no need.
There is no savings culture in this Govt and the quicker they are booted out, the better for all of us. FICAC needs to initiate investigations based on “the public interest” this case of double dipping has generated.
Not only is Lynda Tabuya greedy, conniving, dumb, and arrogant, her nastiness and sense of entitlement is through the roof.
At the last election she was shedding crocodile tears and begging for votes. Only this week she told one Rasalato that she was “welcome to take your vote elsewhere” and that she should fact check before “rambling off.”
The condescension!
All Rasalato did was ask a legitimate question about the PM’s false claim that no woman applied for diplomatic positions.
As a Robert Kennedy responded, if Lynda as the Minister was willing to engage in public discourse, she should explain her position factually, rather than dismiss a legitimate voter question. A clear explanation would build trust. Defensiveness only weakens it. But this is beyond this unethical and poor excuse of a Minister’s comprehension.
What Mark McElrath of the McDonald’s fame wrote in response is pretty much what the whole country is feeling, and this feeling is getting stronger by the day: “this whole govt is very amateur top to bottom!! dont care attitude right through out! Lots of people fed up in the west next election may be a wake up call to some.” Well said, Marc.
One Aseri Bese stated: “Lynda Tabuya this is the very attitude why people have lost their trust and faith in this Coalition.”
This is the same self-righteous Lynda Tabuya who used wail and weep about the FijiFirst government’s use of motorcades and forcing other motorists off the roads, only to do the very same thing as soon as she became a minister herself! She is clearly the most hypocritical member of government. Pretending to be all nice and caring, quick to tears when in need of votes, but totally the opposite in reality—rude, nasty, disrespectful and self-entitled.
Not to mention greedy.
Let’s never forget that this is the same woman who introduced the bill for MPs salary increases—after spending her entire time in opposition criticizing the former government of overpaying themselves and promising to take a pay cut. What a liar.
No amount of money is enough as she’s now she’s caught double dipping. Yes, after a pay increase and even after her husband-of-convenience, Rob Semann’s company, Pacific Solutions is awarded huge government contracts due to political connections, she’s still greedy for more.
This woman was given another chance but once again she proves she’s not fit for parliament, let alone a ministerial position. That Rabuka re-appointed her and inflicted her on us is further evidence of Rabuka‘s senility and unfitness to be prime minister. He’s decision making is totally flawed.
We’ve had enough. We are fed up.
After this latest scandal voters should give both Lynda and Rabuka a good kick in their sorry arses once and for all.
A couple more points worth remembering to emphasize the porn and weed queen of tarts arrogance and hypocrisy.
She wailed and hollered and pontificated that she’d ensure all government vehicles dark tinted windows would be removed immediately.
When in power this was done briefly for show and publicity. To “promote transparency and accessibility” and that they are “servants of the people.”
Take a look at every government minister and assistant ministers’ vehicles now. The windows are now tinted darker than black—darker even than the ministers themselves!
Karia motar, lal batti indeed.
And this is the same biatch who demanded “where is the proof?” and “where is the police reports” from Indo-Fiji women who were raped and suffered ultimate indignities in 1987 instigated by her sugar daddy.
Her attitude simply demonstrating how appallingly tone deaf this ignorant arrogant slut can be. Fully supported no less by ultra feminist NGO women’s groups. Shameless.
And then makes porn videos of herself for distribution as if there was not enough disgrace and self destruction. And then NGO feminists support that too.
We won’t talk about appointing her own sexual predator nephew as online safety commissioner-only to ensure her detractors are tracked and arrested where possible. Said nephew posed as someone else online to lure young Fijian men when he lived in Australia.
Nor will we mention her appallingly racism target one particular community by calling them not to celebrate Diwali on Sunday because it was the itaukei holy day. Holy holely day indeed.
We could make any of this up no mattered how hard if we tried.
As usual rabaku in his need to look like a good transparent and accountable leader has f**ked up. (In fact the f**k ups are becoming almost a daily affair and could easily lead to a govt meltdown only if yhe compromised prostitute Fijian media asked sensible follow up questions)
So buka the serpent says the total cost of all the ministers fiji day jaunt is 65k. Nope! The actual cost is much higher. Remember all these ministers including buka took some govt officials with them. Who paid for their per diems, travel, accommodation and food? The Fijian tax payers of course! So the stupid complicit Fijian media should be asking for the total cost inclusive of everyone that went on the jaunt. But they won’t.
Now we hear that the local organizers had at least paid for full expenses for at least all the ministers that went on the Fiji Day holiday…so why the official expense for the ministers? Even the Sydney organizers have come forward to say they fully funded rabakus expenses. So why did the outlaw bastard claim his perdiem expenses? Who paid for his entourage and hangers on? Surely they wouldn’t have traveled to sydney if baku hadn’t gone to Sydney to get updated by the another pig who has his pommy nose in the Fijian taper trough…Fijis most unqualified diplomat to date. Ajay Amrit.
Also the smart arse buka says he endorsed and approved the 200k expenses for the bera na liva pedo presidents world tour before he kicks the tanoa. ( In fact my prediction is pedo and baku are both about to kick the tanoa one after the other.)
Anyway..the 200k is only for pedo’s expenses and per diem…what about the expenses for his entourage? The senile bag of bones f**ked up legs prick cant even string two coherent sentences together! Can you imagine what he said to old big ears Charles and the middle Easter leaders? What a f**king embarrassment.
BTW can you guys imagine what a racist and bigoted uproar there would have been by bakus demented racist Islamophobic supporters if Frank had done the same trip and announced that UAE was opening an embassy in Fiji! There would been calls for burning down of mosques, if frank selling out to tbe musolmani, of kadavu and nadi airport being sold to the Arabs, of Aiyaz planning this whole sellout to Muslims by controlling Frank through his magic ring, of this being the sign of the sunset clause and loss of itaukei culture, language and heritage, of insults thrown at the Islamic faith for days to come etc etc.
But since it’s a baku approved pedo trip all is good. The racists will find an excuse to overlook the Arabs being invited to set up office here by baku and pedo. But only as long as they are in power. Any new govt will have to be ready to deal with the bigoted and anti Muslim narrative again as soon as baku and pedo are not in the picture. And that day is just around the corner.
Baku almost always has a smug look when talking to the FMP (fijian media prostitutes) because he knows he can ramble on any incoherent mindless bullshit without being asked any hard sensible follow up questions.
So what’s the total real expense for the jaunt by pedo, baku and the ministers and their entourage? And why were they claiming expenses when their total expenses were paid by their hosts? And while you media dogs are looking to find your balls to ask the important questions, throw in the question for the actual total expense for Pio and his entourage recent jaunt of over a month.
We know baku sent pedo on a world tour as a final gift for being a good paramount child doggy before he dies..but why did he send Pio one similar jaunt? Is Pio about to die too?
There is no end to the greed that this government has. How dare Rabuka say it’s all budgeted for. It’s the taxpayers money and how many sasa, coconut, hot bread staff, shop sales girls and boys, teachers, nurses etc will ever be able to go on trips like this. Most would certainly never.
And the nerve to say that the President’s trip is about 200k. That is a laugh. He thinks the people of Fiji are stupid. I am sure people know how much business class costs. And the President would have flown business class to each country, together with his entourage costs, top notch hotels, allowances, gifts for each person he visits etc. The people he is visiting are in those countries out of their own choosing. They are having a cushy life.
I do believe at this point the itaukeis are equally frustrated but because of their culture of silence whole of Fiji is suffering. Those that do speak up are silenced on social media by swears and threats.
The Indians are very different in that way, they call out their leaders if they feel they have been let down. And some would see that as not being united.
This government has ruined this country.
For your information, the President and the Prime Minister fly First Class on those airlines that unlike Fiji Airways, offer a First Class service. Which certainly means other long haul carriers to Europe and the US.
Spouses fly first or business class too.
Father & mother of the Nation? Are you joking , you sickly slimy Snake. Keep these repugnant thoughts and words to yourself. Maybe the Paedo is your father, certainly not the Father of our nation.
Keep your foul smelling stinky verbal diarrhoea to yourself and your so called supporters, not for Fiji as a Nation, Pathetic ar*#$&@es !
The idea is to spend like there’s no tomorrow. As Sona Rolex says:Use it or lose it.
Why worry when OZ n NZ give more as budgetary support.
And the stupid PALM workers spend their earnings on these kind of visits which could have been well utilized for their family needs – the very purpose of them working in Australia under PALM
Serves them right. What’s the need for paying the expenses when they know very well ministers are getting paid. Must have been a wake up call for these hero worshipers.
I am flabbergasted by the response of LT and Rambo’s trolls on FB, you justifing the spend by this lot by comparing them with the FF govt – this is about today, not yesterday plus FF party is not around to defend themselves.
People like Snatch Grabber Pramesh Sharma on FB is justifying the spend by comparing Frank and Aiyaz’s trips overseas. What about your “trips” to fiji from NZ and to rest of the world paid by Fiji Tax Payer via the Fiji Govt boards you are on – wine, dine, woman and first class flights.
Did pussy grabber Sharma not harass a flight attendant in business class cabin when he flew to Ireland this year? Do you think your shit doesn’t stink? Even in private sector boards, this type of abuse is dealt with – investigation, positional loss and criminal charges.
All these NFP/Sodelpa/ Pap supppters need to get grip and realise that nothing lasts forever and it will come out – GD, Fiji Leaks etc are the only platforms holding your abuse of office to account.
This is a major scandal that should be headline news, but you won’t find it making headlines on the airwaves or on the front pages of today’s newspapers.
Stanley Simpson, Vijay Narayan and Fred Wesley who consider themselves doyens of Fiji media and big swinging dicks are actually the limp dicks of Fiji media. Totally ineffectual.
All the millions that they are receiving from the government has softened their dicks, figuratively speaking, even further.
As someone said earlier, the media is as useless and corrupt as the politicians simply because they are in bed together. The Fiji media has prostituted itself to the government.
What a shame.
What are they doing in bed together if they are limp dicks????.
Boci Levu Free Media.
Maybe it’s my age but such colorful language is unbecoming!
As for the politicians, we can only vent our spleen here but it makes little difference to them as most of them are making hay while they can.
Come election time, another lot will be voted in and they won’t need Uncle Tom NFP sorts to form a government
Most Itaukei support the current lot as long as the Indo Fijians are marginalized.
Face facts and stop being so gullible and plan ahead for the next generation.
Take your pills and go back to bed. This is an adult’s only blog, you dimwit. Not for the faint hearted fairies like you. Get lost.
Another thought – do Board chairman and Board members on govt boards including public enterprise, get paid per diem when they travel locally or overseas – if so, what’s the rate?
This is another scandal as nobody got per diem under the last govt – as a former Board secretary of a company board owned by Govt, we never paid a cent except traveling expenses like flights, accommodation, transport and meal allowances. Can somebody shed light on this – it could be a major scandal brewing…
Of course the PM was not informed about all this !
He remains in blissful ignorance.
Remember the corruption numbers, the dollars in the banks of these sharks as thousands of Fijians and thier children eat chow noodles for dinner today.
News flash. Lynda just admitted in parliament that the “only” cost to fijian taxpayers for the fiji day jolly jaunt by ministers rabuka was ticket upgrades and per diems that they are “entitled” to.
What a f**king joke. The trips were fully funded by the gullible hosts so why claim per diems? Per diems are for food and accommodation and this was all paid for. So basically the per diems went either into shopping for Buka and his outlaw minsiters or they saved the per diems funded by fijian taxpayers and quietly deposited it into their private accounts.
What an amazing deal…get your trip fully funded then get paid to show your face and attend the Fiji Day function with full chow and salusalus!! All you have to do is read out a speech that’s been prepared by a minion. Faaaaark…
And who says you have to accept the per diem just cos you are entitled to it..you can just not accept it and return it to govt and the taxpayers. But of course Buka and his greedy lot won’t do that. They are lying swines and of course the complicit prostitute media won’t ask these relevant follow up questions. The sooner the whole lot die the better.
I agree. It is a absolute outrage. Especially for someone like Lynda Tabuya who is a multi-millionaire and is still married to her husband, Rob Semaan, the co-owner of the nation’s biggest construction company, Pacific Building Solutions, despite having made a sworn statement that the couple had been divorced since 2016.
The Fijian people are being taken for a ride by these bastards and they must pay for their perfidy at the ballot box. And by having to face the full force of the law in the meantime.
And our stupid media swallowed Lynda’s line, hook, line and sinker. Not a single hard question asked by the brilliant Stanley Simpson, Vijay Narayan, or Fred Wesley. They simply cut and pasted Linda’s version.
As one of the posts mentioned, they fancy themselves as the swinging dicks of Fiji Media when in reality they are the limp dicks.
Graham Davis is single handedly doing the work of the entire Fiji media while they sleep on the job and accept freebies from government in exchange for going soft.
There should be an independent audit or inquiry into all overseas travel and related expenses incurred by Ministers, Members of Parliament, civil servants (including Permanent Secretaries and other Constitutional appointees), and any other individuals whose delegation expenses are covered by taxpayer funds.
The purpose of such an audit would be to ensure accountability and to identify any potential breaches of protocol or misuse of public funds. Any identified breaches should be dealt with appropriately.
I recall a past instance, possibly during the FFP administration, where a former Permanent Secretary was convicted for abuse of office related to travel costs. Specifically, a business class ticket was booked for overseas travel, but the individual reportedly traveled in economy class and retained the difference in cost. This highlights the importance of rigorous oversight.
From old news report :
Fiji’s prime minister says there are many in the public service and even in parliament who are using the same travel practices as the former chief executive of the labour ministry.
Laisenia Qarase made the comment to Fiji TV after the High Court dismissed charges against Brian Singh on finding that he had no case to answer.
Mr Singh was alleged to have travelled economy class when the state paid for business seats and pocketed the difference.
Mr Qarase says he found the practice improper but it would have been unfair to convict Mr Singh when so many others including MPs were doing the same.
Isa, what would be in GCC Chair Seruvakula’s mind, as our iTaukei leaders, both male and female, run amok helping themselves to the public purse and never doing much to arrest the ongoing shrink in our tax base? And violating the law and normal governance practices. What’s the future like for coming iTaukei generations, not to mention chiefs?