I’m leaving the COI report issue to the President and PM – Prof. Prasad

Deputy Prime Minister and National Federation Party Leader, Professor Biman Prasad says he is leaving the issue regarding the Commission of Inquiry into the appointment of Barbara Malimali as FICAC Commissioner, to the President and Prime Minister.

Professor Prasad says he will not be dragged into any matters of hearsay after the leakage of the COI report.

Police and FICAC have started the investigations into the COI report.

According to the document being circulated, the COI recommendations include that all of the potential offences in the events described in the report be investigated by FICAC and/or the Police and if the evidence warrants this prosecuted so long as no evidence taken under the COI is admissible against any person who may be so charged, that all of the files that have been closed under Barbara Malimali’s tenure are reviewed by independent senior counsel, the handling of Malimali’s file by the Office of the DPP and the Police is reviewed by independent senior counsel, the FICAC Act be reviewed including its wide powers, the report is to be made public with the appropriate redactions, and should the report not be made available to the public, the report be made available to each of the witnesses on a confidential basis with the appropriate redactions.

The report also raises serious questions regarding the processes followed during the appointment of Malimali as FICAC Commissioner.

Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka remains silent after sections of the report were circulated online.

Rabuka has also not said what he will do as the Police analysis of the COI report has already been submitted to him.

We have also sent the sections of the report being circulated online to the Fiji Law Society.

Questions continue to arise on the veracity of the evidence being talked about in the Commission of Inquiry report as the Commissioner of Inquiry and Supreme Court Judge, David Ashton-Lewis had earlier confirmed that while in a normal court situation, you cannot accept hearsay, he could accept hearsay on hearsay in the COI proceeding.

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I’m leaving the COI report issue to the President and PM – Prof. Prasad

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