Tribunal Role Not Clear In Suspension Of Qiliho: PM

The Constitutional Offices Commission (CoC) is not clear on the role of the tribunal in regards to the suspended Police Commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho, Prime Minister and commission chairperson, Sitiveni Rabuka said.

The suspended commissioner was convicted to two years imprisonment for a charge of abuse of office in May.

However, the suspension was not linked to the conviction Qiliho is serving time for.

Qiliho was suspended in January last year after complaints of misbehaviour against him were lodged with the CoC.

Subsequently, he was suspended by the President on the advice of the commission.

A tribunal was supposed to be set up to hear his case, however that has not eventuated.

Mr Rabuka said he had asked the Attorney-General Graham Leung for clarity.

“The current commissioner Qiliho has been convicted of a different offence, not the one which we the commission needed an inquiry on by a tribunal,” he said. The tribunal has made a preliminary observation on the situation after the conviction.

I have asked the Attorney-General to make it very clear for us about the role of the tribunal and if they have completed their job or not.

He added that once this was completed then the commission can take the next step.

As for entitlements, Mr Rabuka said Qiliho’s remuneration had been suspended. “He (Qilho) has appealed against his conviction,” Mr Rabuka said.

“Should he win the appeal, then there will be a restoration and if he does not win, it will be difficult for us to recover any payments made when they were not due.”

Questions were sent to Mr Leung last night remained unanswered when this edition went to press.

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