FICAC boss avoids question on weaponisation, stresses new safeguards

The Acting Commissioner of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) refused to comment on claims the organisation was previously weaponised against political opponents.

Lavi Rokoika declined to answer when asked directly about public perceptions that FICAC had been used as a political weapon during a parliamentary committee hearing yesterday.

“Number one, I’ll refrain from answering that question. I don't want to incriminate myself,” Ms Rokoika told the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

Committee member Sachida Nand had raised the sensitive issue of weaponisation, describing it as something “people talk about, people discuss it, but never openly say it out.”

“There's a perception by some people that previously FICAC was weaponised to take out political opponents and other people. Number one, what is your view on that?” Mr Nand asked.

Despite her refusal to answer, Ms Rokoika did address measures being taken to prevent frivolous complaints, saying a new complaints unit now filters incoming reports within 48 hours.

“Our triage team at the complaints, they are the ones that handle it, first off, in terms of perception or biasness,” she said.

The Acting Commissioner said different types of complaints still come in, including what she described as “tit for tat” cases where people complain about others after personal disputes.

Ms Rokoika said she has established a conflicts register where staff must declare potential conflicts of interest.

She said the new system ensures only complaints with proper legal basis and within FICAC's mandate proceed to investigation level.

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