A staff member of Nausori Town Council was terminated for his involvement in alleged corrupt practices.

The staff was allegedly taking money from the market vendors in Nakasi and issuing receipts. This despite the vendors building illegal market stalls on the roadside.

Minister for Local Government Premila Kumar said the first thing to know was that: “Any roadside stall construction was illegal”.

The Fiji Sun in February of 2020 highlighted that illegal market vendors in Nakasi claimed they were scammed into paying fees to the Nausori Town Council branch in their area.

They alleged that they paid up to $15,000 since 2017 and they had receipts as evidence.

Ms Kumar said the matter had been referred to the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption.

“If you are wondering why there are a large number of stalls found around Suva and Nausori corridor, and particularly on the roadside where you can see well-constructed small sort of a home, I would say one of the reasons for that was the laxity on the part of the municipal council workers who have been making money from these people,” she said.

Ms Kumar said in another case which was referred to the FICAC, a so-called owner of an illegal stall rented the stall to a vendor and was allegedly charging $1000 a month.

She said this was the ministry’s work towards ridding municipal councils of corrupt practices. She said some of these practices had given rise to bigger issues which were being dealt with.

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