Karutake defends Rabi administrator appointment

Rabi Council of Leaders administrator Iakoba Karutake says Opposition MP Premila Kumar “should know” his appointment is legal, accusing her of remaining silent when her own government appointed administrators for about 13 years from 2013.

Mr Karutake said Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka had the power to appoint the administrator under the Banaban Settlement Act.

“It is the discretion of the PM, whoever appoints. That’s as simple as that,” Mr Karutake told this masthead today.

He was responding to Ms Kumar’s post on Wednesday, in which she questioned whether the appointment was based on merit or political connections and called him a “failed PAP politician”.

Mr Karutake said Ms Kumar was wrong to claim Rabi had not had an elected council since 2023.

He said the council was dissolved in 2013 during the Bainimarama government.

“She should also question her own government regime why the Rabi Administrator was appointed,” he said.

“Why has she never questioned? Why is she questioning now?"

The Banaban Settlement (Amendment) Act 1996 allows the Government to appoint an administrator with the full powers of the council if the Rabi Council of Leaders is dissolved.

The Prime Minister is the minister responsible for the Act, through his Office.

Mr Karutake said Ms Kumar was Education Minister at the time but did not act on requests to repair schools, teachers’ quarters and other buildings on Rabi.

“There was no major project during her time,” he said.

Mr Karutake also rejected Ms Kumar’s comparison of his appointment with the recruitment of civil servants, saying the two were “completely different”.

He said the council was trying to operate within its limited funds. “We are trying our best... and it’s not an easy task,” he said.

He urged Ms Kumar not to divide the Banaban community. “She’s got a lot to deal with, with her own politics and other more important matters for Fiji,” he said.