Commission of Inquiry report leaked

Explosive revelations have emerged after an unredacted copy of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) report into the controversial appointment of former FICAC Commissioner Barbara Malimali was leaked online.

The unedited document, compiled  by CoI chairperson Justice David- Ashton-Lewis and counsel assisting  Janet Mason, surfaced on multiple – social media platforms and was also emailed to members of the media last night.

The Fiji Sun has verified that the leaked images circulating online are authentic extracts from the official Commission of Inquiry report.

In what is now being described as one of the most damning integrity failures at the highest levels of Fiji’s governance and justice systems, the leaked document describes Ms Malimali’s appointment as “legally invalid,” “ethically reprehensible,” and “procedurally corrupted”.

According to the leaked findings,  the appointment process was allegedly marred by professional negligence, unlawful conduct, and the wilful concealment of critical facts.

The CoI further alleges that senior judicial officials either enabled or turned a blind eye to the appointment of Ms Malimali, despite her being under active investigation by FICAC for abuse of office.

The CoI also found that the appointment process was riddled with professional failings, including wilful concealment of facts and unlawful actions by those involved.

Professor Shameem’s reaction

Dean of the Justice Devendra Pathik School of Law at the University of Fiji, Professor Shaista Shameem, has called for urgent accountability.

“All public officers, especially those who are lawyers, named in the CoI Report into the Malimali affair should step aside to allow investigation without interference in the allegations of unlawful behavior on their part,” she said.

Professor Shameem said she had read portions of the report now in the public domain and was stunned by the scale of the rot.

“I was shocked that the problem was much worse than I had originally thought. Besides the public officers named, including the judiciary, very senior members of the legal fraternity were specifically mentioned in the CoI Report and it is up to the private bar to seek their suspension from the Fiji Law Society,” she said.

“They should do this as a matter of urgency to ensure that the FLS survived. Otherwise, the revelations in the CoI Report could sound the death knell for the FLS, which would not be fair to the private bar.”

She also urged authorities not implicated to act swiftly to prevent further erosion of public trust.

“The responsible authorities not implicated in the CoI Report should speedily take action, as otherwise instability in the legal system would be inevitable," she said.

Feedback: inoke.rabonu@fijisun.com.fj