The biggest political unknown in Fiji is why the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, set up the Ashton-Lewis Commission of Inquiry into the appointment of Barbara Malimali when by its very nature, it was bound to apply the blowtorch to members of his own government.
Grubsheet has remarked before that the cardinal rule in politics the world over is that you don’t establish judicial commissions of inquiry unless you know the outcome in advance. The Prime Minister has thrown that dictum to the winds and condemned a host of senior politicians – along with eminent figures like the Chief Justice, Salesi Temo – to intense probing by Justice David Ashton- Lewis and the distinct possibility of adverse findings against them.
Why did Sitiveni Rabuka do it? He must have known right from the start that although he knew the Judge as members of the same church (Butt Street Methodist ) and same prayer group, David Ashton Lewis is a judge of the old school from Australia who takes his independence and commitment to the truth extremely seriously. His Commission of Inquiry was never going to be a whitewash and so it has proved to be.
We can’t detail the precise evidence because the Judge ruled that the proceedings be held “in camera” and to do so would constitute contempt. But anyone called as a witness at the COI has been permitted to sit though (almost) the entire proceedings. And the reports emerging speak of anything but a whitewash. The dirty linen – what the Prime Minister referred to as the “rotten” circumstances of Barbara Malimali’s appointment – is reportedly being aired in full. And while Justice Ashton Lewis presents an image of amiability outside the courtroom, he is said to be razor sharp in his line of questioning and tolerates no evasion or dissembling.
Some very high-profile people used to a compliant media and not at all used to being on the receiving end of a blowtorch are getting a lesson in what happens at a genuine Commission of Inquiry conducted to international standards. Sitiveni Rabuka must have known this when he almost singlehandedly pushed through the COI when many of his cabinet colleagues would have been appalled. Why? Because they have not only since felt the heat of the blowtorch but have little idea how all this is going to end. Other than badly.
We’ve long reported that when David Ashton-Lewis and his Counsel Assisting, Janet Mason, complete their investigation and the report is handed to the President, there is no formal legal requirement that the President is bound to release it. Yet as the weeks progress, the question has become “how can the report not be released? The subject matter has been so sensational that it is like a volcano that is going to erupt no matter what decision is taken.
Can the Coalition government not only survive its successive scandals – sex and drugs, the unconscionable parliamentary pay increases, the ODPP debacle etc etc – but also suppress a report it commissioned into events that even the PM himself casts as “rotten”? It isn’t going to happen. Why? Because too many people know what has occurred at the Inquiry itself. And in the nature of these things, it is so sensational that the volcano will blow anyway. And the spectre of a cover-up will just make things a lot worse for the Coalition in the election lead-up.
The jobs of some very high-profile people are on the line and not just Barbara Malimali herself. So why did the Prime Minister do it? Why did he bring in an Australian judge who has since been obliged to bring in a New Zealand Kings Counsel to tell the gormless Fijian Chief Justice what his legal obligations are? Why did Rabuka do all this knowing that he couldn’t possibly know where it would all lead? And neither could anyone else.
Here’s a plausible answer, Fiji. Barbara Malimali was parachuted into FICAC to stop investigations into a brace of government ministers and on the very day FICAC was about to charge the Deputy Prime Minister, Biman Prasad, with abuse of office. When that is exposed – as it almost certainly will be – she is toast and so are they. Because if she is removed, those investigations – that should never have been throttled in the first place – will re-commence.
Sitiveni Rabuka’s name isn’t on the list. He is above suspicion. But armed with a Commission of Inquiry report that blows the lid on the attempt to protect some of his senior ministers, the blow-torch will again be applied to them, not only in the courts but in the court of public opinion. And in the lead-up to next year’s election when having an active FICAC case against any minister will spell political doom.
So did the Prime Minister engage Justice Ashton-Lewis knowing that he would get to the truth? Knowing that depending on the COI’s findings, Biman Prasad is gone from politics and the NFP is no longer a political force? Knowing that some of his main rivals for the leadership of the People’s Alliance – notably Manoa Kamikamica – could have their reputations severely damaged and perhaps destroyed?
Think about it, Fiji. Having engaged David Ashton-Lewis – who Grubsheet has dubbed our Obi Wan Kanobi because he really is our only hope when the criminal justice system has been so compromised – the good judge comes up with an explosive report that blows the Prime Minister’s political rivals away. Then Sitiveni Rabuka makes it public because “it is the right thing to do” and its contents will be revealed anyway. Then he tut-tuts and says that he – along with the entire nation – are “shocked, shocked to the core” by what the report has revealed.
Then those with adverse findings against them by Justice Ashton-Lewis are removed and the FICAC proceedings against his Coalition partner and his own ministers are reactivated. Then his political rivals are done and dusted and the Prime Minister emerges as the one person with integrity who was prepared to lay his government on the line to get to the truth. And then the “Snake” slithers off to contest the 2026 election as “Mr Clean” – the “Good Guy”- with a new team and wins. Not by one vote on the floor of the parliament this time but a sizeable majority.
Sound plausible, Fiji? You bet.
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The list of people referred to FICAC by the Elections Office, dotted with some of the biggest names in the Coalition.
And Barbara Malimali’s response when she was Chair of the Electoral Commission and before she was parachuted into FICAC.
By way of background, some of what we reported last year…
I suspect that the report will never see the light of day.
It will probably get leaked to the media and the public in the end which means sites such as this can freely publish the report, allowing the country to see the truth.
In all reality, the COI will recommend the removal of Malimali. The government will ignore it, as they have done so with many other recommendations. They will state they did their due diligence as required, but are under no obligation to make it public or to uphold the recommendations.
Oh ye of little faith. 🙂
Mate, I reckon a lot of faith has been lost since this uneven 3-legged racist government came to power. From the various renditions of Tabuya’s Kama Sutra Sexcapades to the corruption apparent in the judiciary which puts other dramas such as Judge Judy to shame, faith left the building in shame…
Totally agree. But hopefully other countries are watching which will perhaps impact receipt of aid, investments. Unfortunately the people of Fiji will suffer.
There is always the China card to play. That will convince our near neighbors to continue to provide aid.
As for investment, well the Chinese don’t care about ethics.
The reality of the matter.
Plausible, because any intent from Rabuka would be self-interest that he by default seeks manipulatively, using everyone around him through the kere kere system to establish his power base, and scapegoating anyone necessary to protect it.
The last politician to be known as Mr Clean was DPM Manoa’s Dad, the late Josevata Kamikamica.
Yes, and it is a great tragedy that the son doesn’t have his father’s integrity.
Manoa and his supporters are agitating for him to replace Rabuka before the election but he has zero chance of getting the mass vote capable of carrying the rest of the team into government. And his judgment – whether it is defending the parliamentary pay rises by saying they would make MPs to work harder, going to FICAC in person when he is under investigation or defending Lynda Tabuya’s indefensible conduct – is not that of a leader of character worthy of being prime minister.
Some may argue that he is the best of a bad lot but I personally think the nation deserves better. And there are skeletons in his closet that have warranted the attention of the corruption watchdog that must be confronted rather than covered up.
I reckon Lynda should mount a challenge for the leadership soon. She is popular, she is young, has all the characteristics of being a hypocrite, is dodgy, a weed smoking sex maniac, has no idea about finances or how to fix any of Fiji’s problems and most importantly she is a female and a role model with a big bush. All the right qualifications and characteristics to be the ideal PM.
At least she will put Fiji on the map.
I mean, our PM went to the USA for a prayer meeting with the new President and he did not get a photo opportunity with President Trump. I doubt Trump knows where the f**k Fiji is. I doubt he knows where on the map the USA is – but that is another story.
At least with Lynda, she will let everyone know where Fiji is. I read somewhere that the centre of the world is near Fiji. Lynda will make the world aware that Fiji is the centre of the world.
Lynda and mount should not be used in the same sentence.
I may not have not agreed with many of your missives GD but you hit the head on the nail on this one.
Rambo is on a subtle ‘clean out’ mission for the next elections. The large toads in the pond will be removed from his line up via the Ashton-Lewis COI process.
From the NFP, out will go Biman Prasad and Pio Tikoduadua – the wannabe public hero (but private fool) who unnecessarily stood aside over the Grace Road passport issue.
Rambo’s preference for the national security portfolio is his loyal lieutenant in the 1987 coup – Ioane Naivalurua. Pio is regarded as a shallow show pony.
Manoa K. will not mount a leadership challenge. He is not made of ‘sterner stuff’ and does not have the numbers. He is a bean counter by profession and with his wide smile and his speech-writing wife beside him, is better off as Minister for Tourism.
The incumbent Minister of Tourism with his Jambalaya accent, and his ethno-nationalist mob behind him will be consigned to the dustbin of history by the tsunami of 2026.
Look for Ashton-Lewis being appointed CJ in 2026 and Janet Mason (a vasu of Bukuya in Ba) as the new AG.
Now go bet your house on it.
Rabuka is a political animal and knows how to manipulate the narrative to ensure his survival and the demise of those he sees as threats to his position.
So the Commission of Inquiry is the perfect vehicle for him to rid himself of those who have proved incompetent and those who are threats. Of the incompetent that I believe will feature in the report by His Honour Ashton-Lewis, its easy to see who will be named – CJ Temo; AG Leung; the Chief Registrar and of course Barbara Malimali. Others who may be named for their alleged involvement in the removal of the then Deputy FICAC Commissioner are Wiley Clarke and Richard Naidu.
Moving on, His Honour Justice Ashton-Lewis may also touch on the attempts to influence the investigations by FICAC on the complaints by the SOE by both legal and Government Ministers. This would allow Rabuka to remove these individuals using the COI report as the basis for doing so and with it any potential threat to his position. It would also allow him to jettison the NFP leader along the way.
The report of the COI will be awaited by many, none more so than Rabuka, as this is his chance to recalibrate the Government courtesy of His Honour Justice Ashton-Lewis.
Well, this is the year of the Snake, according to the Chinese. Haha.
I wouldn’t have given the Snake too much credit for playing five dimension chess whilst his team are playing draughts, but it is plausible that he could see two years ahead. Where are the statesmen that would lead Fiji out of the mess it is in?
Mr Davis, your assessment sends shivers up the spine. If those implicated are weakened. then we are looking at a Government and Parliament of family members headed by a dictator! Ethnic cleansing may be off the scale!
Effectively, there is no opposition party that can contest strongly at the next elections.
Are we looking at future civil unrest as other mataqali are sidelined? Or is the Council of Chiefs compromised to placate their subjects and do PM s bidding locally?
And here I was thinking that PM Rabuka was senile!
You have hit the nail on the head, Graham! Rabuka wants to clean house! That’s the only plausible explanation as to why he would endorse the COI in the first place, especially since the findings are bound to find Barbara Malimali unfit to hold the office of Head of FICAC.
Rabuka is definitely hoping to find most of his cabinet Ministers guilty of misdemeanours, especially Manoa Kamikamica and Biman.
He would not be acting alone. As in everything he does, it has the endorsement of his paramount chief Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu. .
If no one has told you yet, it was Rabuka and Lynda Tabuya who informed the previous secretary to parliament Viniana Namosimalua to report the Sodelpa MPs whilst they were in Opposition; to FICAC in a move that ultimately saw Salote Radrodro, the Tui Namosi< Rt Suliano Matanitobua <and Niko Nawaikula jailed and rendered unable to contest elections in both the 2022 general elections but also the 2026 one.
Lynda took the Nasinu votes from Salote Radrodro and Rabuka from Niko and Tui Namosi in 2022. Remember Rabuka was then Leader of Opposition and Lynda was the whip!!
The two will always work together! Note how Lynda was the only Minister cleared by Barbara Malimali as soon as she was made FICAC Commissioner?
So good job Graham!! Shows that you’re definitely a brilliant journalist and your instincts are spot on!
It’s called political assasination of their biggest threats in order to gain their votes!
I dont think we should get all excited and believe that Rabuka has suddenly become a Saint. This snake hasn’t changed.
Why would he set up the COI to take down his enemies within. If that was the case why did he confirm Temo as CJ noting that Temo has been behind most of the blatant breaches of rule of law and constitutional provisions. Temo was behind Pryde’s removal, appointment of Rabuku, appointment of Nancy, entertaining further complaints against Pryde after he was exonerated by the Tribunal, and the list goes on.
This is the same dickhead who entertains sex scandals, pornography and drug addicts in his cabinet. If he was a man of principle or had any ethics, he would have taken serious action against his own ministers. But he didn’t and he won’t.
So let’s not get all cheery, happy and excited. The CIO was set up just for show. Nothing is going to happen.
Rabuka won’t change – EVER.
I for one hope I am wrong.
GD your prediction is very clear and beyond reasonable doubt. Having known Rambo for a long time now, he is capable of using this strategy and winning by a landslide in 2026 as gullible voters will believe that Rambo is “Mr Clean” when in fact the opposite is true.
To digress, GD, in case you had a bad day and need a laugh. It’s a hoot, I tell you😂
Leadership is not about titles or privileges – Prof. Prasad
https://www.fijivillage.com/news/Leadership-is-not-about-titles-or-privileges–Prof-Prasad-x8r4f5/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3K9HC6-MamSTtM4eChhqHzZ9n7tEGiYZVmjeo6fmfN6GJ40rrLtci_jAs_aem_MX5CyTHNWyPfBq1PDrGTBA#n8adkbqtwbrgaq7yqfs3mwhzcfifij1m
Crikey. Guilt is prompting him to completely lose it.
Don’t give Rambo that much credit. He is not a smart guy. He is very very mediocre. The bugger got caught because in one of his many impromptu interviews to the media, he brought up a commission of inquiry. The guy always tries to act that he knows a lot and tries to throw around what he thinks is technical jargon.
Now, he must be regretting that he ever brought it up. Rambo is not a shrewd politician or some intelligent strategist. He is PM by default because Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum ended up disenchanting enough voters for his government to lose power.