Usamate ordered to withdraw allegations against Prof Prasad

Opposition MP Jone Usamate has been directed to formally withdraw his allegations against Deputy Prime Minister and National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad.

This directive was issued by Speaker Filimoni Jitoko during a parliamentary session yesterday.

Jitoko clarified that Professor Prasad’s statement regarding classroom construction in the last 16 years was about the lack of audits, not the absence of new classrooms.

He says he dismisses Usamate’s claim of a breach.

He adds Usamate also alleged that Professor Prasad denied Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s statement about Fiji being in a financial crisis.

Jitoko says after Professor Prasad checked and confirmed no such statement was recorded, Usamate accepted the possibility of an incorrect report and apologised.

The speaker further says the third allegation was regarding a media report stating that Professor Prasad mentioned local government elections would be in September or October, contradicting the responsible minister.

He says Prof. Prasad confirmed he made a general statement about the likely timing of the elections.

Jitoko ruled that this was an opinion, not a factual assertion, and dismissed the claim.

He says the final allegation concerned Prasad’s stance on the 2022 Fiji Development Bank guarantee where Usamate claimed Prasad had voted against it, but Prasad clarified that the Hansard recorded the motion as agreed to without identifying individual votes.

Jitoko says after reviewing the Hansard, Usamate argued the record did not confirm whether Prasad voted yes or no. However,he ruled that the claim was incorrect and directed Usamate to withdraw his allegation.