Fiji Women's Crisis Centre Coordinator, Shamima Ali is calling on Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum to stop obfuscating the issue about convicted rapists Amenoni Nasilasila and Nacanieli Lalabala being allowed to play for the Wardens 7s team in national 7s tournaments, however, Sayed-Khaiyum stresses he is guided by the law as everybody should be.
Sayed-Khaiyum made it clear in parliament on Monday that under orders stipulated in the Fiji Corrections Service Act, the Corrections Commissioner can allow prisoners to participate in sporting activities.
Ali says under Sections 46 and 47 of the Prisons and Corrections Act, the Corrections Commissioner’s discretion can only be exercised in the final 12 months of his sentence.
She has urged Sayed-Khaiyum to use his leadership to do the right thing and has asked if the Attorney General's defence of the Corrections Commissioner’s misguided decision is the official Government stand as the Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation, Rosy Akbar has already condemned the inclusion of Nasilasila in the Wardens 7s team.
When questioned by Legend FM News, the Attorney-General says it is unfortunate that people like Shamima Ali and Communications Fiji Limited talk about the rule of law but do not want to apply it when it does not suit them.
Sayed-Khaiyum adds Ali is politicking and has expanded the issue into something that it is not.
Sayed-Khaiyum says as he made it clear in parliament, the Corrections Act has a number of provisions and as with all independent institutions, the head of the institution is empowered under the law to make various decisions.
He adds to try and extrapolate that into something else is quite misleading.
Nasilasila was convicted for the rape of a 24-year-old woman and jailed for 8 years in 2019 while Labalaba was sentenced to 11 years, nine months imprisonment in 2019 for the gang rape and assault of a woman.
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