Barbara Malimali inquiry testimonies not open to media and public

Witness testimonies in the inquiry into the appointment of Barbara Malimali as FICAC Commissioner will not be made public or accessible to the media.

This has been confirmed by Commissioner of Inquiry, Justice David Ashton Lewis.

He says the decision to keep the testimonies confidential is in line with the need to protect ongoing criminal investigations and national security.

Lewis says in a democracy, not everything is open to the public.

He says the inquiry is focused on investigation rather than prosecution.

He adds that this is not a trial and they are not exposing people but investigating the facts to ensure integrity in the process.

When asked by fijivillage News about the progress after the first weekend, Justice Lewis says they had six witnesses in the first week and they have still got 29 more to go.

He says a lot of those will be short and they are hoping to keep the momentum going.

He says the inquiry is progressing well but they may require more time for the report.