Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says there has been some suspension of senior officials in relation to the Department of Immigration's possible unauthorised issuance of passports to the children of individuals associated with the Grace Road human rights allegations.
Rabuka highlighted this to the media when asked during the press conference for the visit of United States Secretary of Defence at the Mariott on Denarau.
Minister for Home Affairs, Pio Tikoduadua had offered to temporarily step aside from his role as Minister pending the outcome of an investigation to address the matter.
Tikoduadua says these passports appear to have been issued without his knowledge, without the approval of the Permanent Secretary, and without authorisation from senior management within the Department of Immigration.
He says if confirmed, this constitutes a significant breach of their protocols and raises serious concerns about the internal oversight mechanisms within the department.
Tikoduadua believes that this action is necessary to ensure the inquiry is conducted impartially and without any perception of undue influence, from his office.
He has communicated his decision to the Prime Minister and await his guidance on this matter.
The Minister says his commitment is to the people of Fiji and to maintaining the highest standards of governance.
He assures the people that he will fully cooperate with the investigation and work towards restoring any trust that may have been compromised.
