NFP, Draunidalo rejects ‘malicious’ email allegations

Former National Federation Party (NFP) president Tupou Draunidalo has strongly dismissed allegations of conspiring with Alexandra Forwood to destabilise the Coalition Government.  

The allegation stems from an email sent to the Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, by Ms Forwood, which stated that Mr Prasad had blamed the Prime Minister for his removal from Cabinet. 

Ms Forwood’s email to the Prime Minister stated that Mr Prasad had told Ms Draunidalo that he was forced to resign by the Prime Minister but would “go after him (Prime Minister) using the remaining NFP ministers”.   

An NFP statement released on Friday accused Ms Draunidalo of communicating the information with Ms Forwood as stated in Ms Forwood’s email to the Prime Minister “she (Ms Draunidalo) claimed that Biman should have listened to her back in 2016...”.  

Responding to the statement and the allegations, Ms Tupou said: “This is laughable. He (Mr Prasad) hasn't written anything to me. 

“I have no dealings; I think the last time I met Professor Prasad was when I ran into him at the waterfront in Lautoka. That was some time back. I haven't seen or heard from him since.   

“They are playing games against each other, so I want to keep well away.”  

 The NFP statement said the email was an attempt to drive a wedge between Mr Rabuka and Mr Prasad.  

“Neither Professor Prasad nor the NFP headquarters has been in contact with Ms Draunidalo, either via mobile, landline or email, since March 2017,” it read.   

The NFP statement described Ms Forwood’s email as malicious, full of lies and filth.   

“It is clear others who have long abandoned their land of birth and living abroad, are conspiring together with some based locally to what has now become a heinous plot to try and derail the coalition government.”   

Ms Forwood did not respond directly when asked about the content of the email she had sent to the Prime Minister.  

Instead, she defended herself on social media, saying: “The email sent was confidential and private marked only to the Prime Minister. It is outside my control that the Prime Minister forwarded it to Biman Prasad for reason best known to him.  

“However, the charge(s) against Biman Prasad was laid by FICAC who are independent and that they make decisions based on their own investigations and analysis.    

“FICAC as an institution does not listen to anyone unless under law.  I cannot comment further on the matter regarding Biman Prasad as it is subjudice.” 

Ms Forwood, 39, is a Fiji-born Australian citizen. She is a migration consultant based in the suburbs of Sydney. Her adoptive father worked and lived in Fiji for more than 40 years and married an iTaukei woman.