COI Commissioner reveals the ‘crocodiles in the pond’ to Rabuka

Commission of Inquiry Chair and Supreme Court Judge Justice David Ashton-Lewis has revealed to Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka the ‘crocodiles in the pond’ at Rabuka’s asking.

While speaking on an Australian community based radio station, 4crb, Justice Ashton-Lewis says there are always going to be aggrieved people who think they can do it better and one of these people that he identified was someone who is all smile at his face and will stab him in the back if they get the chance.

He says one of them is a ‘wannabe’ Prime Minister.

He says that undoing the mess of the past 16 years — including eight years under a military government, which was illegal from the day it seized power to the day it allowed parliamentary elections — is not easy.

He says that many of the same people who entered Parliament were just as corrupt and disgraceful as those in the military.

Justice Ashton-Lewis says it is impossible to fix all of that in just two years. He observed that around 85 to 90 percent of people are committed to restoring parliamentary government, ensuring the separation of powers, and upholding the independence of the judiciary, Parliament, and the executive — which includes the President, as nothing becomes law until he signs it.

He says he has good hope for the country as long as Rabuka is leading it, and his enemies just claim the worst things about him, but the people who know him just dismiss this as people trying to destroy him.

The Supreme Court Judge says he believes no one can destroy Rabuka and the only person who can destroy him is himself but he is a total committer to the rule of law, the separation of powers, and parliamentary government.

He further says FICAC was set up under the previous regime, which was in power for eight years as a military government, and then eight years as a terrible parliamentary government because it was the same people, they just did not wear uniforms, they wore suits.

Justice Ashton-Lewis says they had really weaponised this body to deal with their enemies.

When asked if he is going to return, he says as a Supreme Court Judge, he is at Fiji’s call but with regards to the COI, he believes there is going to be a lot more inquiry work and he has had it quietly indicated to him that he will be asked to come back and do some of those.

We have approached the Prime Minister for comments.

Meanwhile some people are raising serious questions on Commissioner Ashton-Lewis coming out and making the comments and allegations based on allegations made against people in the Commission of Inquiry.

The question whether it is ethical is also being raised.