PM moves to amend FICAC law amid scrutiny

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has distanced himself from any FICAC matters, but maintains Government's position to amend the FICAC Act 2007 this year.

Mr Rabuka was responding to questions by this masthead on the controversies surrounding the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) and the legislation that empowers the anti-corruption body to exercise its authority.

"It's still on the Government or Cabinet legislative programme. Unfortunately, it was left out of His Excellency's address, but in the remaining part of our leadership this year, we will bring it into the House," he said.

"The Act will have to be legislatively amended, but amending its reference in the 2013 Constitution will need the referendum and the constitutional provisions for amending the Constitution."

Mr Rabuka did not directly respond to questions on the need for a national whistleblower policy, instead he said there were certain matters that needed to be considered before a policy was formulated.

"Many Governments have whistleblower policy or when it comes to issues of national interest. But how do we know that the whistleblower is genuine and the fact that they raised are factual?" he asked

"Those are the things that will have to be considered before we formulate the policy on whistleblowing."

However, without a national whistleblower policy the Prime Minister indicated his strong support for truth telling.

"It depends on what people call the truth. I stand for the truth being told. And if you stand by something you believe to be the truth, you must defend your statement and it comes back to who is conveying that idea, which they believe is the truth," he said.

"I might say something that is hurtful to others, and if I say that's what I know is the truth, how do they know that that is the truth. The onus of proof will be on the utterer on who else is saying what is purported to be the truth."

The anti-corruption watchdog has been the centre of controversies since its establishment in 2007, with many labelling it as a weapon for the previous Government. In 2024, the focus has been on the leadership and operation of FICAC, leading to legal battles that question the integrity of the institution.