The Prime Minister has given his strongest indication yet that he will authorise the release of the findings of the Ashton-Lewis Commission of Inquiry into the “rotten circumstances” of the appointment of Barbara Malimali as FICAC Commissioner.
His constant toing and froing and changes of mind on his public positions across the board means that Sitiveni Rabuka‘s comments to Vijay Narayan at CFL-Fiji Village aren’t necessarily set in concrete. But he appears to have accepted that suppressing the report is not an option given the pressure on him from across the political spectrum. (See previous story)
The CFL-Fiji Village story is accompanied by a photo of the Prime Minister visibly under strain. Because he is about to throw several of his political colleagues under a bus. And if he acts on Justice Ashton Lewis‘s findings, it is reportedly not only the end of Barbara Malimali but of her patron, the Chief Justice, Salesi Temo.
So Inia Seruiratu and Mahendra Chaudhry have now joined Savenaca Narube and others such as Premila Kumar and the newly-independent Ketan Lal in insisting that the Prime Minister has no option but to release the report.
Where does that leave the Chief Justice? Rumour has it that the Commission of Inquiry has recommended that he be suspended and face a judicial tribunal for his role in the removal of the former FICAC acting commissioner, Francis Puleiwai. This has been accompanied by other rumours that Salesi Temo intends to fight the publication of the report by taking out an injunction on its release.
What, if anything, will Temo do? Is there a hint in his public comments yesterday insisting that the judiciary is independent? That whatever the Prime Minister decides, the Chief Justice is entitled to act as he sees fit?
We shall see.
What does it all mean, Fiji? Let’s hope we are about to find out. Because the delay in releasing the COI report against the wave of demands that it be made public is having the same effect on national stability and the Prime Minister’s political fortunes as a beach being pounded and steadily eroded by a Category 5 cyclone.
The certain prospect of the Report being leaked and any cover-up being blown out of the water has reduced the PM’s options to just one. He now has no choice but to release the Judge’s findings and act on them. Because it he doesn’t, he too will be consumed by scandal and his government’s credibility and authority will be destroyed.
Sitiveni Rabuka is between a rock and a hard place and it is written all over his face.
UPDATE SUNDAY AM:
The latest Fiji Times story from the Prime Minister’s resident handmaiden, Cheerieann Wilson.
If Biman goes to prison, a lot of Indo Fijians will be donating money to charities in Fiji.
You don’t explain why.
Biman isn’t bothered by the report because he had nothing to do with Pulewai’s appointment.
Wrong. He is very bothered because he was to be charged on the very day Puleiwai was replaced by Barbara Malimali. Best get your facts right if you want to swim in this gene pool.
What can we expect from this a*s of a PM. The ones before him were no better either.
Fiji needs better leadership.
Or maybe Rolex Rabuka is ok with releasing the report because it’s not damning enough to force sackings and resignations. Just looking at the worst case scenario- depending on which side of the fence you are sitting on.
The Chief Justice, Salesi Temo has to go. He is not fair, not neutral and dishonest. We need a chief justice who is independent, neutral, fair and a role model to others. He needs to follow the laws of Fiji but not use politics.
The Santa Claus is current leader of the eastern island group’s mafia.
This mafia has long had a grip in the affairs of the nation, hold all the levers of government behaving as if they own the entire country.
If the PM releases the report, the original report must be obtained from Janet Mason as it needs to be compared with the original document to ensure the government hasn’t just released a watered down version.
If you read the Fiji Sun story from yesterday, you will see that the redacted version given to the Prime Minister along with the full version was also the work of the COI. It is not open to the government to water down a judicial finding. And if they even tried, they would be way out of line and the notion of an independent judiciary and the rule of law would have broken down completely.
“The ballot is the only means of making our voices heard and removing corruption from power.”
— Kofi Annan
If we can turn these powerful messages into posters and T-shirts and on social media platforms , we’ll send a clear and urgent call to the Fiji voting public:
• “Vote Out Corruption — Not Just Politicians.”
• “Silence Elects Corruption. Speak Through Your Vote.”
• “Corruption Wins When You Don’t Vote.”
• “Your Vote Is the First Step Toward Clean Leadership.”
• “If You Want Change, Pick Up the Ballot — Not the Remote.”
• “Corruption: Enough is Enough.”
In Fiji, our voices matter — and our votes are our power. Corruption thrives in silence, but it cannot survive a united people. Let’s stand together, speak through the ballot box, and say it loud: Enough is enough! Vote them out!
Education is vital. While catch cries and sound bites do work, engaing the electorate with more education to encourage better critical reasoning. History shapes the future.
The snake has a core base of 40% extremists ethno-nationalists. Enough to enter parliament and horse trade his way to power again. Even if by one vote.
The key is the younger voters who have no clue of our past history leave alone the present shit show.
The younger voters remain disengaged and ignorant. They have little knowledge how government should function and even less civic knowledge.
Politicians exploit this ignorance. Politicians lie all the time.
Kofi Anan will have known:
“It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”
– Mark Twain
Absolutely agree — this is timely, necessary, and deeply resonant.
Now more than ever, Fiji needs leaders who are visionary, proactive, fair-minded, and unwavering in their commitment to our people and our shared future. Leaders who act with humility, integrity, and purpose — rising above personal ambition to serve the greater good.
We must form a coalition of the willing — not for convenience, but out of conviction. The time to act is now. Better to stand together with courage today than to face the regret of silence tomorrow.
To those in positions of power: reflect honestly on your contribution. If you cannot offer genuine, positive leadership, step aside with dignity. Do not compound the challenges we already face by clinging to roles that no longer serve the nation.
Let us pray for an awakening — for wisdom, humility, and boldness — to entrust leadership to our best and brightest, and to reclaim a future worthy of our children.
God bless Fiji. May we rediscover the hope, unity, and confidence that once defined us — before the shadows of 1987. This is our moment to reset. Please, leaders: do not continue to ransack or sabotage what remains of our future.
Emeni.
The yet to be publicly released report has redacted bits (stuff blocked out).
Can you ensure the full uncensored bits are also known to the public.
Fijian citizens and us donor countries have a right to know how our taxpayer dollars is being spent by the Rabuka govt.
Release of the report to the public must be followed by acting on the findings. If prosecutions, termination of appointments are required and other punitive actions against individuals, then due process must take place to action the recommendations. And of course the public could rely on the contents to make their choices when voting in elections or when making decisions whether such individuals deserve their support or not.
This report must not end up being just like a murder mystery novel – for entertainment and not for real action. Or just a financially rewarding career enhancing project for the investigators.
Sona Rolex Snake will say the CoI are merely findings and gives government no directions or instructions on what to do next.
The bastard will say the commission merely suggested possible action, therefore he is not obliged to follow an adverse finding. Or that government is not required to report possible criminal actions uncovered-such as illegal appointment of FICAC titti, illegal dismissal of witnesses, other illegal conduct by lawyers acting for karia Baimaan, law society, the drunk chief registrar and Santa claus himself (refusing let CP return to his job) for refusing to suspend FICAC titti. The AG and other trying to shut down and disrupting the Commission. It will be a long laundry list about that we can be sure from the esteemed Ashton-Lewis.
Sona Rolex has already hinted that he will seek further legal opinion and and/or interpretation and/or legal guidance on what to do next.
Who will provide this legal review–Santa Clause CJ? The wishy washy AG? The government’s go-to legal advisors at Butt Street? Solicitor General? Ha! Ha!
No one will lose their jobs. No one will be charged. No one will be convicted. No one will go to jail.
Maybe the snake will appoint another commission to look into the commission of inquiry!
Anything is possible except not to release the report.
NOTHING will happen as a consequence.
Mark these words.
In releasing the COI Report Rolex Rambo is not ‘bowing to the inevitable’.
The COI was his strategy all along.
It is a good way to clean out all the crocodiles at the bottom of the pond, thus shoring up his chances for a landslide in 2026.
Anyone with half a brain in Fiji can see that.
If the Chief Justice Temo is somehow adversely implicated in some kind of wrong doing in this COI findings then expect all hell to break loose in the justice system. Because all of his previous judicial rulings in the justice system would become questionable and tainted leading to potentially mass appeals on the miscarriage of justice.
God forbid another Rabuka term.