PM confirms the SG did not bring up issue to the COC

Prime Minister and Chairman of the Constitutional Offices Commission, Sitiveni Rabuka has today confirmed that the drinking issue regarding the Acting Corrections Commissioner was not brought up to the COC.

Rabuka made the comments to fijivillage News after questions arose on whether the drinking issue regarding Acting Corrections Commissioner, Sevuloni Naucukidi was taken into account before he was appointed as the Acting Commissioner.

This is being raised as the issue was highlighted in a letter sent by the suspended Corrections Commissioner, Doctor Jalesi Nakarawa to the Secretary of the Constitutional Offices Commission and Solicitor General, Ropate Green Lomavatu.

According to Doctor Nakarawa’s letter to the Secretary of the COC in March, the suspended Corrections Commissioner said Naucukidi was part of a group of Corrections Officers that disobeyed a direct instruction by returning to the office after working hours without authorization. He says the officers disregarded the instruction and returned at night without prior approval from management.

Nakarawa also says the directive was implemented to address the issue of officers sleeping in the office after attending nightclubs.

As a result of their actions, the officers including Naucukidi were reassigned to other Units and Divisions.

He says given that they held positions at the Fiji Corrections Service National Headquarters, their failure to comply with this directive undermined the authority of the Commissioner’s office and the integrity of the orders issued.

Based on this, we asked Ropate Green Lomavatu and Rabuka on how was Naucukidi still appointed as the Acting Corrections Commissioner.

Rabuka told fijivillage News that if the Solicitor General, who is the Secretary of the COC had prior negative knowledge of the candidate being considered, he would have been duty bound to reveal the information to the COC.

fijivillage News has questioned Ropate Green Lomavatu again on why he did not provide the information to the COC before they appointed the Acting Commissioner.

He has not responded.