PM denies any Government role in Waqanika FICAC case

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the Government is not involved in charges brought against the case involving Suva lawyer Tanya Waqanika.

The Prime Minister was responding to claims made by Ms Waqanika outside court on Thursday regarding the timing of the charges, given that she had represented Barbara Malimali in the case surrounding Ms Malimali’s termination as Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) Commissioner.

FICAC charged Ms Waqanika on Wednesday for breaching Section 14(7) of the Political Parties Act 2013.

She faces one count of publicly indicating opposition to the Social Democratic Liberal Party (SODELPA) in a Facebook post in April last year.

Outside court, Ms Waqanika told the media that following the charges, she had sent an email to FICAC, copied to the Prime Minister, saying the timing of her charges did not reflect well on the Coalition Government.

When asked yesterday, Mr Rabuka said the Government does not charge individuals.

“The charges are in another department's area of responsibility, not ours, not Government,” he said.