Balawa says Labour desperate to remain relevant while Chaudhry says reverting Counter Narcotics Bureau to Police is questionable

People’s Alliance Party General Secretary, Sila Balawa says the Fiji Labour Party’s latest statement on the drugs issue is yet another desperate attempt to remain relevant in today’s political landscape while Chaudhry says reverting Counter Narcotics Bureau to Police is questionable as police officers are known to be actively involved in the drug trade themselves.

Balawa says to be clear this is a party that is not in Parliament and has no mandate from the people.

He says they offer criticism from the sidelines, without any responsibility to the Fijian people.

The General Secretary says the People’s Alliance welcomes the fact that our law enforcement agencies are now catching their own officers who betray the trust of the people.

He says that is the mark of a system that is working, not one that is failing, no one is above the law, and they commend the Fiji Police Force for acting decisively to clean house.

Balawa says the Labour Party conveniently ignores the fact that the drug crisis did not emerge overnight as it is a deep rooted problem that grew unchecked during decades of poor leadership and weak enforcement under previous administrations, instead of acknowledging this, they seek cheap political points.

He says on the issue of accountability, the Coalition Government has shown it is not afraid to take action whether through the Commission of Inquiry, changes in leadership at FICAC, or reforms across law enforcement.

The General Secretary says they are strengthening institutions, not undermining them, as for Labour’s selective attacks on individuals, they reveal more about their obsession with personalities than their concern for solutions.

He says they are focused on breaking the back of the drug trade, strengthening the rule of law, and protecting our communities.

Balawa adds the drug crisis is a national issue, not a political football and they invite all responsible citizens, including political parties, to work together in supporting enforcement efforts, rather than undermining them with baseless attacks.

Meanwhile, the Fiji Labour Party had stated that the recent incidence of officers caught importing drugs must be seen as symptomatic of the rot that is fast permeating the upper echelons of our law enforcement agencies.

Party Leader, Mahendra Chaudhry says the Counter Narcotics Bureau, established under this Government, was already mired in controversy.

Chaudhry says the very fact that the drugs were brazenly brought in through normal channels in both cases shows how deeply rooted is the problem.

He says this must be thoroughly investigated because it is obvious that others in the system were also involved.

Chaudhry says the decision to revert the Counter Narcotics Bureau to the Police Department is itself questionable as police officers are known to be actively involved in the drug trade themselves.

The Party Leader adds Rabuka says he is “embarrassed and very very angry” at the exposure that officials of the very unit meant to crackdown on drugs, were themselves involved.

However, he believes the Prime Minister must take a fair share of the blame for the decadence and depravity that is fast becoming a societal norm.

Chaudhry says it is hypocritical to speak of anger or embarrassment at such exposures, when he himself is seen to be reluctant to move against those in his government known to be involved in serious breaches of the rule of law.

He says they are asking what message is the Prime Minister sending to the nation, take for instance his inaction in the COI case.

The Party leader says a Supreme Court judge has found several of our top Ministers and civil servants guilty of lying under oath and criminal misdemeanour.

He says yet four months later, the authorities have still not acted on the recommendations of the report except in the case of Barbara Malimali, the former FICAC Commissioner and former Attorney General Graham Leung.

Chaudhry says Lynda Tabuya’s case is another glaring example.

He says she is a drug taker by her own admission and has been linked to other scandalous activities yet Rabuka defies public censure by ‘rewarding’ her with ministerial posts and overseas trips.

The Party Leader says Rabuka needs to realise that defying the rule of law and flouting public norms of behaviour and the ministerial code of conduct sends out wrong signals.

He asks how can Rabuka express surprise at law breakers when he himself shows scant respect for the rule of law.