PM challenges accusers to provide evidence against minister
He says allegations must be supported by credible evidence before action can be taken.
Monday 12 October 2026 | 08:30
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka following the special sitting of Parliament in Suva on September 22, 2026.
Photo: Ronald Kumar
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has challenged anyone with allegations against the top Cabinet minister at the centre of a viral explicit video to come forward and testify.
He said the minister concerned must be given a fair opportunity to respond.
“I want someone ready to testify against my minister so I can give him the opportunity to defend himself,” Mr Rabuka said.
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His comments follow public scrutiny over an explicit video that appeared on the minister’s Facebook Story last Saturday before being removed 28 minutes later.
Mr Rabuka said he had been questioned about the video but had not seen it or been informed of who appeared in it, where it was recorded, or the circumstances surrounding it.
He said allegations must be supported by credible evidence and handled through the appropriate processes before any action could be taken.
“You mentioned him? Go ahead and report him to me and the Online Safety Commissioner, and I will get proof from that authority with you making the allegations,” Mr Rabuka said.
He stressed that anyone accusing a minister of wrongdoing should be prepared to stand by their claims, while the minister must be given an opportunity to respond in keeping with the principles of natural justice.
Meanwhile, a letter sent to Mr Rabuka’s office yesterday challenged him to apply equal standards of accountability to all Cabinet ministers.
The writer compared the current controversy with that involving a female minister who was removed from Cabinet in 2024 amid controversy over a private video.
“Will the same standard, and the same urgency, apply to a male Minister?” the writer asked.
The letter raised concerns about fairness, consistency and gender equality, arguing that accountability should not depend on a minister’s gender.
It also highlighted a distinction between the two cases, stating that the female minister’s video was circulated without her knowledge, while the video in the current controversy allegedly appeared on the male minister’s own account, possibly unintentionally.
“Fairness and consistency are what our people deserve,” the writer said.
The minister at the centre of the latest controversy has yet to publicly respond to questions about the video.
The Online Safety Commission also posted a notice on its page yesterday warning social media users not to post, forward, repost or distribute intimate images or videos of someone else without their permission.
