The Yue Lai yum cha czar, Zhao Fugang, has been on a local PR blitz to rubbish the Nine Media’s reporting that he is a priority target of Australia’s intelligence services for allegedly running the region’s biggest drug trafficking syndicate. But he has fallen at the first hurdle with his claim that Nick Mckenzie – the 60 Minutes and Nine newspaper ace reporter – entered Fiji illegally to confront him with the allegations.
Zhao Fugang claims that Nick McKenzie and his crew contravened the immigration laws by working on visitor’s permits. But thanks to some good old fashioned sleuthing by the Fiji Sun, that allegation – accepted without question by other media outlets – has been demolished. The Nine team had the correct permit to work in Fiji and there are no two ways about it.
The willingness of most of the local media – and especially CFL-Fiji Village – to unquestioningly fall for Zhao Fugang’s narrative that he is a respectable local businessman who has been unfairly ambushed and defamed has been disgraceful. The Fiji Village report below reads like a crude PR release and Vijay Narayan and his team have some serious questions to answer about their lack of journalistic enquiry.
The Fiji Sun has given Fiji Village a lesson in the proper practice of journalism by scratching the surface of Zhao Fugang’s narrative and finding that one of his claims aimed at damaging Nick McKenzie’s credibility is just plain wrong. Which naturally raises doubts about the veracity of the rest of his account.
Fortunately – as Grubsheet observed earlier in the week – Zhao Fugang might be able to fool some of the people some of the time. But his worth to the Chinese as a self-acknowledged agent of influence has been reduced to zero. Which is precisely what the intelligence services intended when they blew his cover to Nick McKenzie.
Zhao Fugang’s close ties to Fijian law enforcement are also at an end. One of his main contacts – the disgraced Police Commissioner, Sitiveni Qiliho – is now behind bars. And the conga line of prominent people from the Prime Minister down that used to snake its way up to the Yue Lai will also have come to a sudden halt. With Zhao Fugang firmly on the intelligence radar, anyone he tried to influence as a Chinese agent is now also on the radar.
The Fiji Village report. PR masquerading as journalism.
An important contact blown. Zhao Fugang and Sitiveni Qiliho.
Look at that lady behind Zhao
Vondo loto
Everywhere with every government
I have noticed that too, Richard. Lately, she has been seen with Kamikamica in Vancouver. CCP agent?
Jenny Seeto is a highly respected professional from one of Fiji’s oldest Chinese-Fijian families. She and her late husband, Dixon, have served successive governments with dedication and integrity with the sole purpose of helping the nation to succeed. I would personally stake my life on her absolute loyalty to Fiji.
Jenny Seeto is in this picture as a member of the wider Chinese community in Fiji, not as a supporter of Zhao Fugang or the Chinese Communist Party. Her record of service is impeccable. And she deserves the support and appreciation of every fellow Fijian for the magnificent contribution she and her family have made to Fiji.
Jenny Seeto, former partner at PWC.
Shs is chairperson of Investment Fiji.
It’s a govt delegation to Canada with the purpose of attracting investment or similar into Fiji.
She probably is also under cover agent for Moscow, Beijing and that axis alliance.
With such ill educated opinions of Fijians it’s a wonder anyone puts their hand up to be a public figure in Fiji. Plus the tall poppy syndrome.
Well Graham, wasn’t she the consultant to Malolo Island as well? No doubt about her loyalty to Fiji, but it does appear she has been a facilitator. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…
Apart from Qiliho, isn’t Fugang a close ally of the current minister for i-Taukei affairs? Wasn’t the entire coalition agreement/formation held at Yue Lai?
That lady is Jenny Seeto, an accountant.
and you’re right, wants to be seen everywhere with people she thinks matter.
Vijay Narayan, journalist yehha . Oook
60 minutes has not shown us any evidence though. I am not the biggest fan of China but still need evidence.
3 things:
1. Did Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Fiji not check a reputable media organisation and its journalist visa types first?
2. Did Ministry of Foreign Affairs still not check after the interview and after the documentary went on air that the media organisation and the journalist not have a valid visa before laying a formal complaint with authorities about invalid visa?
3. How dumb can a Ministry, it’s Minister, and the PM of Fiji be?
It shows that brothels rub better than the Fiji Government today.
You all have been exposed.
Australia invested millions in these loto poto crew. They can’t even do simple checks. This is their “intelligence” level.
Pio Tikoduadua must be removed from his position immediately.
If there was a trophy for the worst media organisation in the Pacific it would go to Communications Fiji Ltd.
Fm96, VitiFM, FijiLive, Navtarang and all under CFL are absolutely ???? government sidekicks.
Till today Fiji Police has not laid a single charge on this organization for abuse women and children openly in public.
CFL has started promoting Showcase 2024 scheduled for July.
Till today too, Labour Minister Agni Dei Singh has yet to deliver his promise of a report on his ministry’s investigation into the fatal ferris wheel incident during Showcase 2023.
If not done yet as I may have missed it, can Minister Singh please showcase this report by next month. Implementation of recommendations from the report is vital for public safety at the next Showcase. Mr Parkinson and your team, kerekere play your part and help protect our youth and community before and during Showcase 2024.
60 Minutes Australia is not your stupid Straight Talk or what ever Fiji hosts.
Get it real and start worrying what this means and how widespread is the drugs and organised crimes issue.
I am waiting. There is more to this story. Well done 60 Minutes.
Nick McKenzie is an Australian investigative journalist. He has won 14 Walkley Awards, been twice named the Graham Perkin Australian Journalist of the Year and also received the Kennedy Award for Journalist of the Year in 2020 and 2022. He is the president of the Melbourne Press Club.
The above is from the Wikipedia. Easily searched even by Year 1 standard student.
McKenzie has uplifted and exposed so many high profile cases in Australia. Take time to read about the breath of journalism skills this guy has.
Please remind the world what credibility and award Fiji Village or Communications Fiji Ltd hold? I think we have our answers already. McKenzie is not your Vijay Narayan and Stanley Simpson. He would have landed in Fiji after probably three quarter of the case was investigated and the information was on hand. Not doped in kava and siding with anyone. He was there to gather facts and tell a story that we should be thankful for as Fijians. Our youth are in danger. Our men will be in prisons because of being drug peddlers.
Fiji media – just one lesson. Grow up. You make the country look so poor. Who teaches and peers you old media rookies is laughable.
GD, all one has to do is look logically at the drug trade that goes through Fiji and you cannot but help to make obvious conclusions.
How much was confiscated? 5 billion, 6 billion? How long would it take to get an illegal drug operation of this size going and trusted in a remote South Pacific island nation to take in the source product and send out finished product. Drug cartels are not going to invest that much money in a place and operation that they do not feel very sure about and that they have support and backing of the highest levels of legal authorities. They need to first deal with the following elements.
• Establishing Networks: Initially, the operation would need to establish networks for drug sourcing, transportation, and distribution. This could involve building relationships with suppliers, securing transportation routes, and establishing distribution channels.
• Navigating Legal and Regulatory Hurdles: The operation would also need to navigate legal and regulatory hurdles, including potential scrutiny from local law enforcement and government agencies. This could involve bribing officials or establishing connections with influential individuals who can provide protection or assistance.
• Money Laundering: Setting up effective money laundering operations would be crucial to conceal the illicit proceeds of the drug trafficking. This could involve setting up front companies, using cash-based businesses, or laundering money through legitimate financial institutions.
• Scaling Up: Once the operation is established and has gained some traction, it could gradually scale up its activities. This could involve increasing the volume of drugs trafficked, expanding into new markets, or improving efficiency in the supply chain.
Assuming that the operation is well-established and has efficient smuggling routes and distribution networks, it’s possible that the turnover rate could still be several times a year, especially for high-demand drugs like methamphetamine. However, factors such as law enforcement presence, border security, and the reliability of transportation routes could all impact the turnover rate.
Therefore using a turnover ratio of 2.5 per annum on a $5 to $6 billion dollar seizure, or in other words, inventory and raw materials holdings, would indicate the Fiji drug operation exceeded $12 to $15 billion dollars per year. That buys a lot of protection and support from the top people in Fiji.
So this goes back 3 to 5 years at a very minimum and must have the very top people in the country being highly complicit and it absolutely must have people who can handle legal (ASK?), police (SG?), Finance (NBA?) and of course, government (FB?) all as part of its deep-rooted and liong-standing critical network. So how cannot this not be easily tracked and prosecuted now that they are no longer in power unless…….
Well, it still continues as of today and when $12 to $15 billion is in the pipeline, it’s pretty easy for the cartel to call ‘next’ and our morally bankrupt coalition government would gladly and gleefully hop on that bad money train. When this governemnt acts so blindly about what is going on, is there any other conclusion?
These journalists are brave and know what they are reporting
After almost 4 tons of meth seized by police in Fiji, we know this is not for Fiji market
Fijian boys are just used as a sheild
They even don’t have financial means to import such big quantities
Last government was rubbing shoulders with another drug lord who NZ police put him behind bars now
There are big foreign players out there with carrots to offer whoever is on their way
Fiji doesn’t have such a market
Yes,Nadi and resorts may be but not of this value
Hunt this bas@@&rds or else Fiji will become a drug haven
I am baffled to know how and when did Fugang become the Police or the surveillance speaker for Fiji. He knows very well what is asked and what this means. Who holds what visa type shouldn’t be his concern. That should be Fiji Government’s concern and a job that the government failed to do. They still failed even when they did check. Dah!
Tell me without telling me how stupid this government is…
Tell China to come get his man. Fiji doesn’t need him.
The journalists in Fiji are ideal an fit for a Third World country. They have standards which fit a Third World country. They have an audience which fit a Third World country. Basically they are proud idiots with a proud idiot audience. The sad thing is they are totally oblivious and are totally unaware of their standards and their stupidity.
And then they all wonder why Fiji is where it is and why they are where they are.
However, they are going to get another $58m from Australia and direct budget support. It was approved by the Fiji Cabinet!!!! I mean wow, it was appoved by Cabinet which comprises of anal rapists, women abusers and whores and a whole bunch who are under investigation. It must have been a proud moment to approve this hand out.
And the stupid Indo-Fijians today apologised to the iTaukei of Vuda and Ba province in their Girmit celebrations for something Indians did over the last 145 years. I do not know or understand what they apologised for but this is the level of stupidity they are completely oblivious to. Fiji is f*cked.
Absolutely agree.
Each journalist, starting with Vijay Narayan, are propagandists, they are paid PR for a racist, divisive government. If some still have their conscience, they need to speak up. There’s power in voices!
Have you ever heard them at a press conference and the quality of questions they ask? I really wish the camera would focus of their faces, so we can see what stupid looks like!
The general public is a bunch of useful idiots who get swayed by these tactics.
Girmit is not a celebration, it’s a remembrance day for the atrocities committed and slavery. Those people who asked for forgiveness, need to visit a library to read their history. (Can’t suggest research on Google, not sure if dimwits would know how to).
#boycottgirmitdaycelebrations
#boycottcoaliationgovt
Already evident in Fiji…. ‘That dangerously tangled web weaved…’
“Former spy for China’s secret police reveals operations targeting dissidents in Australia and overseas”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-13/china-secret-police-operations-revealed-by-spy-four-corners/103826622