Rokoika calls JSC ‘grog swipers’ in High Court evidence

Evidence presented in the form of recordings in the High Court states that Acting FICAC Commissioner Lavi Rokoika hates to deal with the Judicial Services Commission who she says are a bunch of grog swipers and don’t do anything good and has not done anything for her.

This was revealed during proceedings in the case where former Deputy Prime Ministers Professor Biman Prasad and Manoa Kamikamica have filed applications for a permanent stay on the cases brought against them by FICAC.

King’s Counsel for Professor Prasad and Kamikamica, Martin Daubney, called his witnesses — journalists Lavinia Lativerata of Mai TV and Jake Wise of The Fiji Times.

In a recording provided by Lativerata in court, Rokoika is heard saying that she does not recognize the JSC because they did not appoint her, the President did.

In the interview on September 17th last year regarding her appointment, Rokoika is also heard saying that the Constitution refers to terms and conditions, which are determined by the JSC and because the JSC did not recommend her, what they are saying about not recognizing her is wrong.

In the recording, she had stressed to Lativerata that she is still getting paid.

Rokoika said she did not practice law in Fiji since 2005 and does not know the JSC from a bar of soap.

She said the Chief Registrar, Chief Justice Salesi Temo and others used to be with her father who was a Magistrate in Fiji and that is the relationship she knows, however she does not know them.

The Acting Commissioner said in the recording that the JSC wanted to see her.

She said she is not answerable to them but at the end of the day, she is only answerable to the person who appointed her.

Rokoika had emphasised that she does not care about what the JSC had said and it is only out of courtesy because the Chief Justice is like the headboy of the lawyers, and she respects him as the Chief Justice.

Rokoika objected in court today to the recordings being played, stating they were irrelevant since a transcript had already been provided. However, Daubney, argued that the recordings were relevant, and this was upheld by Justice Siainiu Fa’alogo Bull.

Professor Prasad faces two counts of failure to comply with statutory disclosure requirements and one count of providing false information in a statutory declaration, allegedly omitting his directorship.

Kamikamica is charged with one count of perjury and one count of providing false information to a public servant.

While the charges arise from separate cases, the court is hearing Professor Prasad and Kamikamica's applications together as both challenge the validity of Rokoika’s appointment.

Submissions on other grounds of their stay application will be heard tomorrow.