The Commission of Inquiry report into the appointment of Barbara Malimali as FICAC Commissioner, which cost taxpayers $2 million, is now in jeopardy, as the Commissioner of the Inquiry and Supreme Court Judge, David Ashton-Lewis has gone public with the contents of the report.
Section 4 (1) of the Commissions of Inquiry Act states the every Commissioner appointed under the Act shall take an oath or make an affirmation that he will faithfully and impartially and to the best of his ability discharge the duties devolving upon him by virtue of the Commission, and, if the inquiry should not be held in public, that except to the President he will not divulge the proceedings or the vote or opinion of any Commissioner.
People are already 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.
Ashton-Lewis said he 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 observed that around 85 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 FICAC 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. He is yet to respond.
The comments from Commission of Inquiry Commissioner and Supreme Court Judge Justice David Ashton-Lewis regarding the ‘wannabe Prime Minister’ certainly sounds like me but he needs to clarify who he is referring to.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Manoa Kamikamica stressed this after the COI Chair said that he revealed to Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka the ‘crocodiles in the pond’ at Rabuka’s asking.
While speaking to 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.
Kamikamica says rumours have been circulating that he is the ‘wannabe Prime Minister’ because he smiles a lot.
The Deputy Prime Minister says the Commissioner has abused the law because everyone was told that they can't talk about the report.
He says the rules were set for the COI that no one was to say anything until the President decides what to do with the report.
Kamikamica says he has refused to answer any questions on the COI because they were under direct instruction and he will reserve his comments when the report comes out. The Deputy Prime Minister further says he has publicly come out and posted on facebook that he is very supportive of the release of the report.
When asked if he ever intended to be the Prime Minister, Kamikamica says he never joined politics to become Prime Minister and he just wanted to get rid of the last government after 16 years of mismanagement and wrong rule.
The Deputy Prime Minister adds that he never asked the Prime Minister to be Deputy Prime Minister.
Kamikamica says he finds the "wannabe PM" comment as pathetic and ignorant.
He adds it is also very insulting to him and his family.
Kamikamica says he and his wife sacrificed heaps to fight the last regime.
He stresses that he never asked the Prime Minister about being Prime Minister and never will.
The Deputy Prime Minister says anybody that knows Manoa Kamikamica knows that he works hard and allows what he does in his career to determine progression.
He says he is what they call a high performer, and he always believes if you work hard, you will find success, or more appropriately success will find you.
Kamikamica stresses that his focus is to rebuild Fiji, they have no time to waste, they have one Leader, the Prime Minister whom he supports 100 percent.
Click here for more stories on the Barbara Malimali suspension and dismissal of AG Graham Leung
Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations
