There’s been nothing from the Australian side but buried on page three of today’s Fiji Sun is news that Colonel Ben Naliva is no longer deputy commander of the Australian Army’s 7th Brigade.
There’s been no official announcement yet but the clear implication is that the Australian Defence Force now accepts that Colonel Naliva – as his accusers have alleged – was involved in human rights violations during the 2006 coup.
It is a stunning blow for Fiji’s credibility with the Australians and in the eyes of our own people. The Coalition government and especially Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai – the Commander of the RFMF – have been severely shamed and embarrassed for compromising the reputation of the Australian Defence Force.
Ben Naliva isn’t being sent back to Fiji but instead of his deputy commander’s position in the ADF, he is going to spend a year working on “research projects” at the Australian Defence College. In others words, he has been sidelined and parked in a non-job to save face for both the Fijians and the Australians.
The ADF admitted at the time Colonel Naliva’s appointment became front page news in The Australian newspaper that it hadn’t done proper diligence on his record. But few people seriously believe that the Australians didn’t know about his role in the 2006 coup as one of Frank Bainimarama’s most loyal officers.
Why is the Colonel being sidelined for a year instead of being sent back to Fiji? Because he has always been the senior RFMF officer most likely to object to the jailing of Frank Bainimarama. And now that the spectre of Frank being sent to Naboro is very real, the last thing Jone Kalouniwai and Pio Tikoduadua want is Ben Naliva back in Suva.
Undoubtedly a lot more on this story to come when the Australian media picks up the Fiji Sun story.
A major embarrassment for the RFMF Commander, Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai, who vouched for Ben Naliva as a clean-skin. The ADF will not be pleased that he exposed them to scandal.
The plot thickens. Thanks GD.
I hope Ben has plenty of pens to complete his “projects”.
Thought he was in a cave somewhere.
And now we know!
Project Ben…..
Great work GD. These men need to be held accountable.
Next is Rt Inoke in Wellington Embassy. Do the coup, do your time.
That’s Australian Army for you.
Gone in the wind Ben.
If only Fiji Army held the same credibility.
Awesome investigative journalism GD.
It was Berenadeta Nagatalevu at the Fiji Sun who broke this story, not me. Kudos for doing so.
Vinaka vakalevu Berenadeta and for you on digging more.
Major General Ro Jone Kalouniwai is busy looking busy and waiting for his fame moment of a reconciliation. Meanwhile the whole Government is collapsing.
Wake up General.
Do the job you get paid to do.
Aseri Radrodro is next.
The International Democracy Union is not a place for a woman basher.
The men’s club must close down for a better Fiji.
We all fervently wish that to be true
Hear! Hear!
And that includes those weemen who support the men’s club and their barbarism, à la Meenister LT.
An embarrassing moment for the Fiji military commander. It has however become a norm in Fiji ever since 1987 .
This is like a curse that our paradise Fiji has to put up with, up until now. It’s even worse now under the Snakes ???? leadership.
Fijians are still blind and condoning all RABUKA’S bullshit and cover ups .
In other words expect more suffering to come with escalating prices of living and crime .
CRY FIJI CRY ????
Nothing is shameful for Fiji government anymore. They have no shame, no credibility and no principles.
A government of adulters, a bikini model whose bonking stories will become folklore, a woman basher, a creep DPM whose creepy messages to another women will not be hidden, a treasonist, a racial supremacist, and a whole lot of brainless clowns who only make a noise in parliament and on social media while this country and its people sink further.
Yes but GD you followed the trail!
Thank you!
Ditto!
Btw I hope you’re okay GD, just heard about the Bondi Junction tragedy.
Yes, thanks. Have just posted something on this. As you say, a tragedy.
A year ago today the DPP’s offices had received a docket against the President of the Methodist Church, Rev. Vunisuwai. The DPP also confirmed that Rabuka was under investigation!
Later that afternoon the DPP was gone. Stood down from his job with pay and he is still off work.
So what happened to the investigation on Rabuka?
And that of Reverend Vunisuwai?
Shows that corruption is still present and the justice system is completely under control by this government. That is dangerous.
Wake up Albo, and stop spending $B of our tax on Fiji
Ben Naliva’s alleged misdeeds are insignificant compared to the crimes, lies and plots hatched by Rabuka, yet Naliva is forced to undergo the ignomity of being sidelined by the Australian army while Rabuka is wined, dined and given a guard of honor at the naval boat handover in Perth. There is something obscene about this.
Agree.
Write to your government leaders.
Demand that our taxes are not spent on these leaders who carry immunity.
Do the same for Fiji’s High Commissioner’s everywhere. That will teach them a lesson.
If you think this happened by chance, then you underestimate the current political strategists. Slowly and slowly we see people being held to account, either through the courts, through the media or through other means. And those who think they can plot the next coup better calculate carefully. They will be shredded in time, either their reputation, their freedom or their pockets, they will eventually pay.