As police investigations continue in relation to the 14 Freemasons under investigation for alleged sorcery in Nadi, Fijivillage has been told by one of the Freemasons that there is nothing sinister when they hold their meetings.
He said a number of respected and prominent people have been members of Freemasonry Fiji and it has been in existence in Fiji since 1871 when a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in Polynesia was opened in Levuka.
Fijivillage has established that at various times over the last 130 years, there were five Masonic Lodges in Fiji.
Of these, one located in Navua has been deregistered and the second, Rewa Masonic Lodge of Viti, was in the process of being deregistered because of falling membership.
The remaining three are the Lodge of Polynesia, Lodge of Fiji and Lodge Lautoka.
It has also been established that the Masonic Lodge of Fiji meets at 7:30pm on the third Monday of every month and holds its installation meetings on the third Saturday in June.
The Lodge of Fiji provides funding for a variety of charitable institutions annually and has contributed to helping the needy during natural disasters.
Upon investigation, Fijivillage can confirm that Freemasonry is one of the world's oldest secular fraternal societies.
According to the Freemasons Fiji website, it is a society of men concerned with moral and spiritual values.
Its members are taught its precepts by a series of ritual dramas, which follow ancient forms, and use stonemason's customs and tools.
The Freemasons believe in a Supreme Being and is open to men of any race and religion.
They also state that Freemasonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion.
The Freemasons also follow three principles which are brotherly love, relief and truth, and they do not involve themselves in politics.
Still on this issue, a New Zealand man has told the NZ Herald that he and 13 others spent a "wretched" night in a prison cell after frightened residents and police raided his Freemasons meeting in Denarau, suspecting witchcraft and sorcery.
The man, who did not want to be named, blamed village people for the raid on Tuesday night in which 14 members of the Freemasons Lodge of Lautoka were herded into police cars and kept in custody for the whole night.
Police also seized lodge items from the meeting venue in Denarau which included compasses and a skull.
The man told the Herald that the meeting was interrupted by banging on the door and villagers and the police then demanded to be let in.
He said nothing sinister had been going on but such is the nature of life in Fiji that they were taken to a nearby police station.
The man said the Masons were told nothing of the allegations against them, but were warned that under Fiji's emergency decree, they could be held in custody for 48 hours without charge.
The 14 men were released yesterday morning.
Police Director Operations Waisea Tabakau has told Fijivillage that they are being investigated for allegedly practicing sorcery.
Fijivillage also managed to speak to the Secretary of the Masonic Lodge.
He denied that he was at the meeting.
He told us that he does not know what we are talking about and he was at home on Tuesday night.
The Land Owners Council in Navatulevu, Nadi, is aware of a group of people who have been meeting privately at a hotel on Denarau Island.
Chairman of the LOC Tiko Dawai said what transpired in the meeting is being dealt with by the police and military.
