Solicitor-General’s Role in COL Files Sparks Political Clash

Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu has strongly con­demned the Acting Prime Minister's decision to seek legal opinion from the Office of the Solicitor-General on files arising from the Commission of Inquiry (COI) describing the move as deep­ly flawed and a threat to the rule of law.

Mr Seruiratu said asking the Of­fice of the Solicitor-General to examine matters connected to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions' (ODPP) files under­mined the principles of natural justice, particularly as the Solic­itor-General was named in the Commission of Inquiry Report and could face potential criminal liability:

He likened the decision to appoint a suspect to investigate his own case, arguing that no reasonable citizen would regard such a pro­cess as fair, independent or cred­ible.

Mr Seruiratu said the move in­sulted the intelligence of the Fijian people and represented a serious affront to the administration of justice.

He said if Government was genu­inely concerned about the integ­rity of the prosecutorial process, the files should instead be referred to an independent King's Coun­sel with extensive experience in criminal prosecutions and no con­nection to local political or institu­tional interests.

He claims the episode highlighted a growing breakdown in the rule of law under the coalition Govern­ment, warning that repeated mis­steps were eroding public trust, weakening institutional independence and damaging confidence in the justice system.

Mr Seruiratu said the Commis­sion of Inquiry dealt with matters of serious national importance in­volving public institutions, public power and public trust, noting that taxpayers funded the inquiry and were entitled to outcomes that met the highest standards of account­ability, transparency and integrity:

Meanwhile, Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Lands Fili­moni Vosarogo has rejected Mr Seruiratu's claims, calling his statements were presumptuous and misrepresented the context and intent of his actions as Acting PM.

Mr Vosarogo accused Mr Seruira­tu of hypocrisy, saying the Oppo­sition Leader was part of the for­mer government that showed little respect for the rule of law and the Constitution.

Mr Seruiratu's political pressure on the ODPP to expedite its advice on the Col files, was described as interference with the independ­ence of the prosecutorial process.

Mr Vosarogo said the ODPP had completed its work and that he had sought a legal opinion only to un­derstand the implications of the ODPP's decisions on existing court cases dealing with related matters.

"I need a legal opinion on what the decision of the ODPP would mean, if at all, to cases currently before the courts, so that I could properly brief the Prime Minister upon his return to the country," Mr Vosarogo said.

He rejected claims that he had requested a legal review of ODPP files, stressing that the Office of the Solicitor-General had no con­stitutional authority to review de­cisions of the DPP.

"I know the law and the limits that apply: The decision of the DPP cannot be administratively reviewed outside of the court, let alone by the Solicitor-General," Mr Vosarogo said.

He said the legal opinion sought was solely for briefing purposes and part of the hand-over process when the Prime Minister returned to the country.