Acting A-G Turaga says appointment rests with PM

After almost six months in the acting role, Acting Attorney-General Siromi Turaga says his confirmation to the substantive position rests entirely with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.

Mr Turaga has held the acting position since June after former Attorney-General Graham Leung was dismissed following controversy surrounding the Commission of Inquiry.

“Acting Attorney-General and Attorney-General is basically the same, we’re just waiting because that’s the Prime Minister’s call,” Mr Turaga told this masthead.

The Attorney-General is the Government’s chief legal adviser and oversees key agencies including the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption.

Last month, Mr Rabuka confirmed he had not identified a suitable candidate for the permanent Attorney-General position, saying Mr Turaga would continue in an acting capacity.

Mr Turaga was initially appointed Attorney-General when the Coalition Government took office in December 2022, but was removed in June last year after incorrectly advising the Prime Minister on MPs awarding themselves a pay rise.

He continued as Minister for Justice throughout.

The Prime Minister earlier clarified there were no plans to appoint an Attorney-General from outside Government, and said Mr Turaga’s continuation depended on how his occupation in the office affected ongoing matters.

Mr Turaga remains focused on his Justice portfolio, recently defending Fiji’s tough drug sentencing laws and announcing plans for a criminal records bill to help Fijians with past convictions obtain clean slates for overseas employment.