Stop Harping About It

Attorney-General Siromi Turaga urged convicted Member of Parliament Niko Nawaikula to stop talking about how he was kept 10 more days in confinement but take his complaint to court.

On December 1, Nawaikula was released from the Fiji Correc­tions Service correctional facil­ity on parole.

He was convicted last year for providing false information of his permanent address while be­ing an MP. To this, he obtained more than $20,000 in parliamen­tary allowances.

He was sentenced to three years imprisonment with one year sus­pended.

Speaking to Fiji Sun at his home, on the day of his release, Nawaikula said justified his re­marks with two recent rulings of the Supreme Court.

“The Supreme Court in these two cases had declared and told the prison authorities that every inmate should be out of prison on the end of his parole or the end of his remission,”Mr Nawaikula said.

“For me that ended 10 days ago.”

Nawaikula took his complaint to the acting Fiji Corrections Ser­vice Commission Salote Panapa­sa claiming that the officers did not respect the directive of the Supreme Court.

He did not get a response from her, adding that he may have got out ahead of the end of his jail sentence because of helping oth­er prisoners.

“I know in Nasinu alone there would be about 20 whose claims I put before the commissioner,” he said.

He claimed these were inmates who should have been released yet illegally confined.

“This is a very serious issue so the Commissioner of Prisons, the Attorney-General and the Officer in Charge are answerable,” the former lawyer said.

When asked for comments, Ms Panapasa said it was now with the A-G.

Responding to the complaint, on the margins of the 25th Attorney- General Conference at Sheraton Fiji Golf Resort and Spa, Mr Turaga said:“He has every lib­erty. There is no point harping about it. What do you do? You go to court.”

He said the Correction Services was working according to the act and regulations of the Correction Services.

“Particularly for inmates, there is no point if he harps about it. He has to back it up.”

Feedback: aralai.vosayaco@fijisun.com.fj