FICAC Investigation Files Discovered: A-G

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Siromi Turaga has revealed that a number of case files were only discovered at the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) when the former Commissioner Aslam Khan resigned last September.

While making this revelation in Parliament, Mr Turaga said this was a troubling factor.

He did not wish to make further comments on the cases but the Fiji Sun understands that part of the case files were linked to investigations on the Fiji Sugar Corporation and the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation.

“Most recently, one of the senior officers who was part of the administration from day one, when she was asked questions about a particular complaint, she could not provide any explanation,” Mr Turaga said.

“She was asked to go on leave only, so after she was sent on leave they found another bundle of investigation files,” he said.

“This is the clean-up that the Coalition Government promised to do in this nation, and we will continue to do so.”

Mr Turaga said the FICAC of yesterday was gone.

“Under the leadership of the Coalition Government, it has the new image of FICAC where they are given full independence to operate. There is no political interference.

“Staff are encouraged to do due diligence in terms of their investigation.”

Bulitavu

Opposition MP Mosese Bulitavu while responding to the A-G said Mr Turaga would need to ensure that when he leaves, his successor does not discover missing files in the organisation.

He said FICAC needed more funding in terms of training its investigators.

“We hope that the honourable Minister of Finance will give more funding to this independent institution established under the 2013 Constitution, so that they would be able to conduct further awareness and also advocacy,” Mr Bulitavu said.

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