Bainimarama Wants Full Pension Restored

Former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has maintained his argument against the State’s calculation of his pension using his salary amount after the 20 per cent reduction from March 27, 2020.

Bainimarama, who is represented by lawyer, Devanesh Sharma and Gul Fatima, appeared before Justice Daniel Goundar last Saturday for the hearing of his pension case.

Bainimarama was the only witness from the Plaintiff’s side to take the witness stand.

Bainimarama argued that he was entitled to receive 75 per cent of his annual pension for gratuity payment.

This means that he should have received $246,562.50, which is 75 per cent of his annual salary of $328,750.

This amount was reduced to $184,921.87.

It was heard that a determination was passed in Parliament to reduce the salaries of all Ministers from March 27 to December 31, 2020, to cater for Fijian citizens who were struggling during the COVID-19 epidemic.

During his witness, Bainimarama claimed that he understood this determination to be a temporary one where the salaries would be reinstated by January 1, 2021.

The court as well as State questioned why he didn’t make changes to the reduction then, given he was the leader of the government then. He responded saying, Fijian’s were still recovering even then, thus never asking further.

He disputed the claims made by the Office of the Attorney-General’s lawyer, Ofa Solimailagi about making medical claims to the government since his retirement.

He maintained that the only medical claim he’s made was through the Republic of the Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) medical scheme.

He told the court, although there were other benefits available to him, he only sought his pension with gratuity and a car that had no driver until now.

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